The Blonde Bomber uncorked her eighth home run of the year, a three-run shot that was the game-defining blow in a four-run second inning that propelled the fourth-ranked Tigers to their seventh straight Division III district title with a 9-0 blanking of Cincinnati Madeira at Tippecanoe Middle School.
WLS advanced to play Middletown Madison, a 1-0 winner over Clermont Northeastern on Saturday, in the regional semifinals at Wright State University at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Madeira came in with a 20-6 record and a 16-1 pitcher on the mound. But that didn’t phase the 25-3 Tigers’ wrecking-ball offense. They plated two runs in the first and after four more in the second, were in complete control.
“I don’t think of it as ‘This could be my last game,’ because we have the potential to get to state,” said Ledford, WLS’ only senior who has a full-ride scholarship to Kent State University. “I’m focused on four more games (which would mean making the state finals), not one.”
It was hard to focus on Ledford’s second-inning blast, which cleared a left-center field wall that was 220 feet away from home plate on a line. Veteran Tippecanoe onlookers said it may have been the farthest ball ever hit at their field.
It was a strange sight to see from a player who was a “slap-hitting” leadoff hitter for most of her first three seasons.
“I put her more in a power position this year because we have some speed-burners hitting in front of her,” said WLS coach Lanay Detwilter. “It has made our team more sound.”
The Tigers put another run on the board in the fourth, then two more in the sixth with a two-run double from Andrea Markin. All nine Tigers had at least one hit.
Meanwhile, the WLS sophomore pitching duo of Alyssa Neff and Becka Peterson held Madeira to one first-inning single and combined to strike out 12 batters. They retired 15 straight batters at one point.
“Pitching is still the key,” said Detwiler. “We have two pitchers who complement each other well. We have more of a drop-bell pitcher to start, then I can come in with a fastball, rise-ball pitcher. It makes for a hard adjustment.
“And it helps that everyone does their job.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0364 or krowe@coxohio.com.
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