UNION CITY — The Mississinawa Valley Lady Blackhawks answered a tough setback in emphatic fashion Thursday night, bouncing back from a no-hit loss earlier in the week to defeat the Bradford Lady Railroaders 8-4 in Western Ohio Athletic Conference play.
After being held hitless in a 4-0 loss to Ansonia, Mississinawa Valley head coach Shane Buckingham went to work, reshuffling his lineup and emphasizing fundamentals at the plate during Wednesday’s practice. The adjustments paid off.
“We finally started hitting the ball after getting no hit on Tuesday,” said Buckingham. “I switched the lineup around a little bit. We worked on hitting Wednesday, and they came out and responded and hit the ball well.”
Bradford struck first at the top of the opening inning, capitalizing on early control issues. Vivian Harleman delivered a two-run double, and Chloe Elsner later drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Lady Railroaders a quick 3-0 advantage.
Mississinawa Valley starter Ella Godfrey weathered the early storm and settled in to deliver a strong performance. The right-hander struck out 11 batters over seven innings, allowing five hits and four runs while walking six.
“Ella struggled to start off the game,” Buckingham said. “She walked the first couple of batters, hit a batter, and gave up a three-run double, so we got down 3-0. But she turned herself around and pretty much shut them down the rest of the game. I was pretty proud of her for doing that.”
The Lady Hawks responded in the bottom half of the first and then surged ahead in the second inning. Gentry Newbaur, moved into the leadoff spot, ignited the offense with a standout performance. She went 3-for-4 on the day, including a double, a single, and a two-run home run to left field that gave Mississinawa Valley a 4-3 lead.
“I moved Gentry Newbaur up to the leadoff spot and she was 3-for-4,” Buckingham said. “She led off the first with a double and scored, then hit a two-run homer her next time up.”
Cora Hoggatt added to the offensive push, driving in a team-high three runs, while the Lady Hawks showcased aggressive base running with seven stolen bases. Both Hoggatt and Newbaur swiped two bases apiece as Mississinawa Valley kept pressure on the Bradford defense throughout the game.
The Lady Blackhawks also played clean, error-free defense behind Godfrey.
“I was happy with our defense all around,” Buckingham noted. “We didn’t have any errors — we played solid.”
Bradford’s Vivian Harleman led her team with two RBIs, while Chloe Hocker and Casey Bolen each recorded two hits. Harleman also took the loss in the circle, pitching five innings and allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits.
With the regular season winding down, the win carries added significance for tournament positioning. Mississinawa Valley entered the night just behind Bradford in Division VII RPI rankings, making the matchup critical for seeding.
“We came into the night right behind Bradford in the rankings,” Buckingham said. “I told the girls I felt like we were playing for a seeding spot. We ended up going ahead of them for the drawing this Sunday. That was big for us.”
Buckingham believes the combination of renewed focus at the plate and lineup adjustments could provide momentum heading into the postseason.
“We got the pitching machine out and worked a lot on our hitting,” he said. “They responded very well. Hopefully that will keep us going forward.”
Mississinawa Valley’s bounce-back effort not only evened the tone after a difficult loss but also delivered a timely boost as tournament play approaches.
BOX SCORE:
123 456 7 R H E
300 000 1 4 5 3 Bradford
220 013 X 8 7 0 Mississinawa Valley
