Belpre loses to Colegrove in sectional final | News, Sports, Jobs

Belpre third baseman Allie Haraucaro hits a ground ball and prepares to throw to first base for an out during the Ohio Division III sectional final game Thursday in Belpre. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Patrick)

BELPRÉ — Belpre's initial fireworks in the Ohio Division III sectional final against Cole Grove quickly went out.

Coal Grove starting pitcher Abby Dees threw the first eight pitches of the game and overcame just two walks to complete a no-hitter with 18 strikeouts as the Hornets won 7-0 on Thursday.

“(Dees') changeup definitely got harder. You never knew when it was going to come.” Makayla Carmichael, Belpre's leadoff batter and the school's all-time home run leader, who was hitless in three at-bats, said the following.

Carmichael and Golden Eagles No. 2 batter Lucy Ruble both walked in the first inning, then Dees retired the next three batters with strikes.

“Even though I knew the changeup was coming, I never imagined it was coming.” Carmichael continued.

Belpre pitcher Makayla Carmichael looks at home plate just before pitching during the Ohio Division III sectional final Thursday in Belpre. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Patrick)

At one point, Belpre's first 11 outs came by strikeouts. In this game, only three Golden Eagle batters put balls in play, and only one pitch remained in the infield.

This result was not truly representative of the Belpre program, which added six new players to the varsity lineup.

“It's very difficult to reproduce pitches like that in practice.” Belpre coach Brian Hutchinson said after his ballclub finished the season with a 10-8 record. “The only way we can do that is with our own pitcher, but we have to rest her. We were trying to work hard in the count, and the girls did it, and After that first inning (Dees) obviously found her groove.

“We had a chance to make some noise in the first inning, but we just couldn’t do it.”

Despite the offensive team's struggles, Belpre was held scoreless until the third inning. Cole Grove broke through in the top of the fourth inning when Riley Black beat a come-from-behind batter to center field, scoring two runs with one out and a single.

Belpre third baseman Ally Haraucaro, 15, tags in as Cole Grove baserunner Casey Vanderhoof tries to steal a base and gets caught Thursday during the Ohio Division III regional final game in Belpre. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Patrick)

Belpre largely escaped further damage. Cole Grove loaded the bases, but a forced play from second baseman Chloe Cooper to catcher Lucy Ruble caused a runner to fall to the plate.

When the No. 8 batter stood in the box, he got his second run on a wild pitch.

As if the Dees needed more insurance, Cole Grove scored four runs in the fifth inning behind three hits, including a two-run double by Mia Haynes and an RBI by Casey Vanderhoof.

The Hornets added one more run in the sixth inning to complete the scoring. On the other hand, the Dees only retired the last 17 batters they faced. Her strikeout that ended her game became her 500th total during her junior high school career.

The only other Golden Eagle to reach base safely was Madison Lauer, who was hit by a pitch with one out in the second inning.

Coal Grove pitcher Abby Dees (with arms crossed) had 18 strikeouts and a no-hitter as the Hornets defeated Belpre, 7-0, in the Ohio Division III sectional final Thursday at Belpre. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Patrick)

“I know the strike zone was a little tight, so I had to adapt to that.” Dees, who was at bat and had 2 hits in 4 at bats and scored 2 runs, said: “I was a little nervous at first, but I knew I could do it. I just had to adjust my body and stride.

“500 strikeouts was a goal from the beginning of the season. This year I had to hit 230 points or something crazy like that. Last year I had 212 strikeouts, so I have to set bigger goals for myself. I thought it wouldn't happen.”

No. 15 seed Cole Grove improves to 15-7 and will play No. 3 seed Frankfort Adena in the regional semifinals next Tuesday at Unioto High School in Chillicothe. With seven freshmen and sophomores in the starting lineup, the Hornets needed some adjustments to get the team together. But coach Aaron Rice likes the team's trends.

“Recently, my bat woke up.” Ms. Rice said. “Our team is young, so it took us a while into the season to figure it out a little bit.

“Abby, I can't say enough about Abby. Lately, we've been playing teams that can score, and Abby has performed very well against them. I’m one of those kids who never quits their job.”

For Belpre, third baseman Ally Haraucaro is the only senior in the starting lineup. She plans to attend Marshall University and double major in criminal justice and physics.

“I had a great career with a solid team all four years.'' Haraukalo said: Flanked by his older brother and his best friend, Halaucaro took the traditional senior post-game walk around the bases and was greeted by his teammates when he reached the third base line. “I really enjoyed watching everyone grow this season.”

Both Ruble and Carmichael are excited about next year's prospects, especially several freshmen who are expected to make an immediate impact.

“It's going to be important to have confidence in the freshmen coming in next year and for everyone to continue to have confidence on the field.” Louvre said.

Contact Kelly Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com