ONTARIO — What a difference a day makes.
Just 24 hours after losing to Shelby 9-2 and ending their shot at clinching the outright Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference championship, the Ontario Warriors won Game 2 of the series 15-2 on Wednesday night to grab a share of their second consecutive league title ending as co-champions with River Valley.
After a disappointing showing on Tuesday, the Warriors turned it around and will put another number on the softball league championship banner.
"Last night, we got two right off the bat and slowed down," Ontario junior Trista Jewell said. "Tonight, we were looking for revenge. We knew we needed to put up runs quick and early if we wanted to get that league championship and we did that tonight."
They certainly did. The Warriors scored eight runs in the bottom of the first to take complete control of the game right from the jump. With three more in the second and four in the fourth, the Warriors piled up enough runs to take the run-rule victory.
"Our nerves got the best of us last night and we kind of thought ahead instead of being in the moment and taking the game in front of us," Ontario senior Joslynne Frazier said. "We went out and tried to do too much so tonight, we kept our focus and played the game as it was."
Jewell led the Warriors with three hits and five RBIs while Frazier had two hits including a two-run home run in the fourth inning to push the Warriors ahead enough to end it early. On Tuesday, the Warriors scored the first two runs of the game but didn't score the rest of the night. On Wednesday, they put their feet on the gas and never let up.
"It was so important because if we let up just a little bit and give them some life, they can come back and take a lead," Frazier said. "We did a great job of putting this away early and not looking back."
Brinlee Kreger also had three hits on the night while Taylor Mullins and Autumn Taylor had two apiece and Kylie Snow, Eden Howard and Olivia Kreger had one hit apiece. The Kreger sisters had two RBIs apiece while Mullins, Taylor and Howard had one apiece.
It was a far cry from the five hits the Warriors collected on Tuesday.
"We made the pitchers pitch to us," Ontario coach Sean Snow said. "When this team does that, it is one of the best-hitting teams around. Last night, we chased a lot, got into a hole and let Shelby dictate the game. But the bottom line is, we just took command of the batter's box and never gave it up."
Howard took the win in the circle allowing two runs, just one earned, on five hits with five strikeouts in five innings of work.
Natalie Kennard led the Whippets with two hits while Maggie Bogner, Demi Hipp and Lexi Booker had one hit apiece. Booker had the lone RBI in the loss.
On Tuesday, Jewell had two of the five hits and on Wednesday, she kept swinging a hot bat all because she never changes her approach no matter the situation. She could have runners in scoring position and her team desperately needing a big hit to bring them in or she could be leading off an inning, she is going to take the at-bat the same way every time.
"It is the same approach as any other at bat," Jewell said. "It is always to relax and see the ball to contact. Just do what I always do and not try to do too much. Just let it happen."
And that is what the Warriors (17-5, 12-2) did all year long. Last year, Ontario ended a 20-year league championship drought in softball. This time around, that drought didn't even reach a year in a repeat effort.
"It is definitely nice, especially after ending a 20-year drought last year and now repeating, I am just grateful to be a part of this history," Jewell said. "It is a dream come true. As a child, I walked through the hallways and saw all of the pictures of league champions and I always wanted to do that. Now, we have two."
Frazier agrees. Goal No. 1 is in the books and now, it is time for bigger things, like the postseason tournament that begins on Friday for the Warriors in a sectional championship showdown with Vermilion.
"It is so great to be a part of," Frazier said. "To experience this with our entire team and know that we are doing something special here is something to be proud of. But, now, it is go time. It is time to focus more because it is postseason softball and you have to win to advance. The regular season was our time to have fun, but now, it is time to flip the switch and get serious."
Snow was extremely happy for his seniors, Kylie Snow, Alex Switaj, Mullins and Frazier.
"It means a lot to me," Sean Snow said. "I am sure it means a lot to them. They busted their humps to do this and set great examples in practice and were leaders on the field. The young girls were receptive to it and that has been the key to two league titles."
While they do have to share the league championship with River Valley, who the Warriors split with during the season, winning the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference is no small feat.
"It means a lot," Snow said. "I am not the biggest fan of sharing except maybe at Christmas time, but River Valley deserves a piece of this thing too because that is a great team. There were a lot of teams in this league that gave us and River Valley some fits. Winning a league championship in this league is huge because of the talent in this conference. Any day, anyone can beat anyone and we are very proud to be a league champion again."
It is also huge because it prepares the Warriors for the postseason. Playing such talented teams during the regular season makes the road to a district championship look a little less stressful. Maybe just a tad bit.
"You see so much solid play in this league that we should be very well-prepared for the postseason because of our tough conference schedule," Snow said. "With that said, we know Madison, we know a lot of the teams in our district very well and there is no doubt that this district is very tough. It is going to take something special for anyone to win this thing."
Kind of just like the MOAC, and the Warriors came out on top of that.
jfurr@gannett.com
740-244-9934
Twitter: @JakeFurr11
