Big Walnut rolls over Franklin Heights, 21-0; Windle fires two-hitter, hammers grand slam as Golden Eagles clinch OCC Capital softball title

Thursday, May 8, 2008

By GARY HENERY
News Managing Editor

Golden Eagle seniors Corinne Windle and Courtney Ball certainly know how to throw a Senior Appreciation Day celebration.

Big Walnut wrapped up the Ohio Capital Conference Capital Division championship with a 21-0 victory over visiting Franklin Heights Monday afternoon at Sunbury. The Golden Eagles, 18-5 overall, clinched the division title with an 8-1 record, two games better than Dublin Scioto with one conference game remaining.

Windle and Ball each played key roles in the title-clinching game.

Windle threw the distance, giving up an infield single, a pop fly single, a base on balls and a hit batsman while striking out eight Golden Falcon batters to record the complete-game victory. Windle’s contribution did not end there as she went 2-for-4, including a grand-slam home run in Big Walnut’s 10-run fourth inning, while scoring three runs and driving in six more.

Ball joined Windle in the Golden Eagles’ 14-hit attack with a single, a walk and three runs in four trips to the plate.

“I’m really proud of our girls and what they have accomplished so far this season,” Big Walnut head coach Jeff Hatfield said. “This has been a season where everyone has contributed in one way or another … it’s been a total team effort since the start of the season.”

Big Walnut took control of the game early, striking for seven runs on four hits, two walks and two errors against Franklin Heights’ starter Dakota Gammell in the bottom of the first.

First baseman Amy Butts triggered the opening frame with a two-run double off the center field fence. Windle followed with a two-run single and the Golden Eagles were off and winging.

After Gammell retired the Golden Eagles in order in the bottom of the second, Big Walnut came back to put four runs on the board in the third to open up an 11-0 advantage. Butts, who finished 3-for-4 at the plate with five runs batted in, keyed the frame with a bases-loaded single through the middle of the diamond.

The Golden Eagles left no doubt, pushing across 10 runs in the bottom half of the fourth. Windle, who drove in five of the 10 runs, had help from right fielder Holly Painter, center fielder Tabatha Piper and Ball who each delivered run-scoring singles. Piper and Painter collected two hits apiece. Second baseman Michelle Hoffman was 3-for-3 with a walk and four runs scored.

Left fielder Jennifer Stover, who led off the game by beating out a chopper off home plate, and catcher Victoria Edwards, who reached on a pop-fly single to center, collected both Franklin Heights (6-11) hits off Gammell who walked five, hit one and struck out none. Eleven of the Golden Eagle runs were unearned.

Big Walnut, seeded second behind Granville at Sunday’s Division II Central District draw, wraps up its regular-season slate with three games this week, including a 5 p.m. home game today with Hartley.

“We want to continue to build momentum this week for the postseason,” Hatfield said. “We drew into the tougher side of the bracket, but I’m confident the girls will be ready.”

Big Walnut opens District play Thursday, May 15 at home with Columbus East at 5:30 p.m.

BW boys place solid fourth at Olentangy Invitational

Thursday, May 8, 2008

By BEN STROUP
For The Sunbury News

Friday’s 19th annual Olentangy Invitational served as the perfect momentum boost for several local track and field teams as Olentangy, Big Walnut and Liberty’s boys’ and girls’ squads squared off in Lewis Center.

The boys bracket featured a tight race as first place (Pickerington North) and fourth place (Big Walnut) were separated by just 11 1/2 points.

Sandwiched between the Panthers and Golden Eagles were the Patriots and Braves.

Liberty was second thanks to its 103 points and Olentangy finished third with 99 1/2.

As the final scores indicated, each event was a hard-fought battle.

Olentangy gobbled up the big point totals in the discus thanks to Kenny Anunike and Logan Taele. Anunike was first with a toss of 154-3 and Taele was second thanks to his 153-0 effort.

Anunike was also first in the shot thanks to a heave of 50-1.

Big Walnut’s Eugene Cannaday didn’t disappoint in the jumping events, winning both the high and long jumps with respective marks of 6-2 and 22-5.

The 22-5 in the long jump was Cannaday’s best of the year, but didn’t net him first-place points by much.

Olentangy’s Andre Dawson extended to 21-8 to settle for second and teammate Quincy Bamfo was third thanks to his 20-11 1/2 mark.

In addition to the two jumps. Cannaday also placed second in the 200 in 0:23.6.

In other field event results, Olentangy’s Austin Hicks and Conner Sill finished one-two in the pole vault by reaching respective heights of 14 feet and 13-6.

The Patriots’ Matt Foster won the 110-meter high hurdles (0:15.9), and Big Walnut’s Luke Atkeson was second in the same event (0:16.1).

In sprinting action, Olentangy’s Monte Davis was first in the 100 (11.2) and Liberty’s Cameron Whitner was first in the 200 (23.5).

Big Walnut’s Andrew Dronsfield won the 800 in 2:04.8, edging Liberty’s Tom Wilkin and his 2:05.2 effort; Big Walnut’s Bret Myers was third in the 400, finishing in 0:53.3; and Olentangy’s Alex Bourne rounded out the top individual performers with a second-place, 42.8 effort in the 300 hurdles.

Olentangy’s 400-meter relay squad won its event (0:44.4) and Liberty’s quartet finished second (0:44.7). The Patriots also earned second-place points in the 3,200 relay (8:25.4) and 800 relay (1:31.7).

Other team scores included Pickerington Central (65), Watterson (39) and Reynoldsburg (12) rounded out the scoring in the Olentangy invite.

On the girls’ side, Liberty took top honors thanks to its 124-point performance. Host Olentangy finished third with 97 1/3 and Big Walnut earned seventh place with 37 points.

The bulk of the Patriot points came from a steady effort culminating in a slew of second-place performances.

That’s not to say they didn’t pick up any first-place points, though.

Kelsey Couts was one of the leading performers, taking the top spot in the 100-meter high hurdles in 0:17.1 seconds. She also crossed the finish line second among the competition in the 300-meter low hurdles thanks to an effort of 0:47.8.

Other Liberty standouts included Carolyn Costin, who was second in the 100-meter dash with a 0:12.9 performance; Corinne Carducci and Erica Hamon, who finished first and second in the 1,600 with respective times of 5 minutes, 29.6 seconds and 5:32.2; Arwen Marker, who was second in the 3,200 thanks to her 12:06.6 effort; and Chelsea Denlinger, who was second in the 800, finishing in 2:34.1.

In relay competition, the 400- and 3,200-meter squads also picked up second-place points.

Olentangy didn’t boast as consistent an effort, but did finish with the most first-place performers of the three county schools.

Brittany Strickland and Adora Anunike were particularly productive in the throwing events. Strickland won the discus with a toss of 115 feet, 1 inch and Anunike took top honors in the shot put with a heave of 34 1/4.

Other winners, also competing in field events, included Niki Paplaczyk and Ayla Starcher. Paplaczyk won the high jump (5-0) and Starcher rounded out the Braves’ dominant showing in the field with a win in the pole vault (9-0).

Other standouts included Megan Schweller, who was second in the 100 hurdles (17.2); and Nicolle Petras, who was first in the 200 (27.8).

The Golden Eagles struggled to secure points for most of the meet, but did have their share of steady performances.

Laura Kelly and Julia Evans picked up the team’s two second-place efforts. Kelly was runner-up in the high jump (4-10) and Evans just missed a win in the long jump, settling for second (16-5 1/2).

Lincoln Green was third in the 3,200 (12:48.9); Sam Thompson was sixth in the 100 (13.7); and Ali Betrone-Harpst was fifth in the pole vault (7-6).

When all was said and done, Pickerington North ended up in the second spot with 112 1/3 points, Dublin Scioto was fourth with 66, Reynoldsburg had 49 and Watterson nabbed 41 1/3 to finish just ahead of Big Walnut.