NEW MADISON – The Tri-Village Lady Patriots proved to be a force to be reckoned with in a district semifinal game that took two days to complete due to rain delays. After West Liberty-Salem struck first in the second inning, it was all Tri-Village the rest of the way as the Patriots powered their way to a convincing victory.
“Sometimes it takes us a minute to calibrate and get things adjusted,” said Tri-Village coach Emily Osborne about the slow start.
The Patriots were retired in order in the first inning, but their bats came alive in a big way in the bottom of the second. Tri-Village sent hitters all through the lineup while exploding for six runs before heavy rain forced the game to be suspended.
When the teams returned two days later to finish the contest, the Patriots picked up right where they left off, continuing to swing the bats well and make solid contact throughout the lineup.
“You never know when you have to start back again in the middle of the lineup, so it was nice to see them come out and finish it,” Osborne said.
Tri-Village added four more runs in the third inning and five in the fourth to put the game out of reach. The Patriots needed only to record the final three outs in the fifth inning to secure the run-rule victory.
The Patriots are hoping to make another deep postseason run, and their experience in tournament play could prove valuable moving forward.
“It is helpful because they know what to expect — coming out of school, finishing out the year, and understanding what tournament softball is all about,” Osborne said. “We are always focused on one game at a time.”
Osborne said one of the biggest areas of growth for this team has been communication and the maturity they have shown at the plate throughout the season.
“Most of the improvement has been communication and the feeling that they are working well together as a team,” Osborne said. “Quality at-bats are where they’ve improved. They might get down in the count, but we are able to battle back and work deep into counts.”
That growth, combined with the talent and leadership on the roster, has the Lady Patriots believing they can make a strong push deeper into the tournament.
Elizabeth Poling earned the win in the circle for Tri-Village, pitching four innings while allowing just one run. Emma Greer led the offensive attack with five RBI’s as the Patriots’ lineup continued its strong postseason performance.
