PICKERINGTON — Maddy Cotsamire hadn’t given up a run in weeks.
And she wasn’t about to start Saturday.
On a sweltering morning at Pickerington Central – with history on the line – the East Knox junior pitched a gem. She tossed a complete-game one-hitter, shutting out defending state semifinalist Newark Catholic and leading the Bulldogs to their first district title in program history.
“She’s just a workhorse. She had a tremendous week in practice – she really dialed in, buckled down – and just peaked at the right time,” East Knox head coach Jake Ulrey said after the 6-0 victory.
“I think she’s throwing as good now as she has all season. I’m just super proud of her and the defense behind her. We played a perfect game today, and it showed.”
The Bulldogs made history five days prior, beating Ridgedale, 10-0, on May 16 to advance to their first district final. But they weren’t done yet.
Junior third baseman Shanda Melick said Ulrey and his staff kept the team focused throughout the week, as they prepared to take on perennial power Newark Catholic. The Green Wave won a district title last year, eventually knocking off area rival Danville en route to the Division IV state tournament.
“All week, we had great practices going into this. So we knew that they weren’t gonna surprise us with anything,” Melick said. “And we worked really hard all practice and had some girls come in to help us, so we felt confident going into the game.”
The work paid off Saturday. East Knox, seeded third in the Division IV Central District, dominated seventh-seeded Newark Catholic from start to finish.
And as a result, East Knox made history yet again.
“It’s overwhelming,” Ulrey said afterwards. “It’s awesome for the girls to cash in what they’ve worked for all year long. I mean, I know we’ve been pretty talented, but we’ve been talented for a couple years now, and it’s finally (been us) buying into the little things and getting the results that we’ve worked for.
“I’m just super proud of all of them, and all the hard work that they’ve put into it.”
The Bulldogs are one of 16 Division IV teams remaining statewide. They will face Russia, Ohio’s top-ranked team, in the regional semifinals on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Northmont High School.
HOW IT UNFOLDED: East Knox wasted little time getting on – and around – the bases Saturday.
The Bulldogs opened the bottom of the first inning with three straight singles, loading the bases for Melick, who capitalized by flying out to deep center field and scoring Cotsamire from third. East Knox led 1-0 after one inning of play.
The Bulldogs added to their lead in the second. Anjel Montgomery singled down the first base line, scoring Baylee Comer from third and making it 2-0.
The third inning proved scoreless for East Knox, as Newark Catholic starting pitcher Kilee Banjoff appeared to settle in. But the fourth inning was a different story.
The Bulldogs opened the frame with two straight singles. Cotsamire then capitalized, smacking a grounder that scored Kayla Finch from second. Nataley Hull followed moments later, hitting a grounder to first that scored Montgomery and increased the lead to 4-0.
East Knox wasn’t done. Natalie Smith doubled to left field, scoring Cotsamire from third. And two batters later, Gracie Sheasby rounded out the inning, hammering an infield grounder that plated Smith from third and made it 6-0.
“We hit well today. …” said Ulrey, whose Bulldogs finished Saturday with 12 hits – against a Newark Catholic team that had surrendered just two runs through its first two tournament games.
“Things happened to us today that probably haven’t happened all year. I mean, I had a couple girls who just stood out, who have not done that all year long. It was awesome.”
The Bulldogs cooled down at the plate over the game’s final two innings, recording two hits and no runs. But it wouldn’t matter.
Cotsamire pitched lights-out, mixing masterfully an array of pitches that kept Newark Catholic guessing. She finished the game with nine strikeouts and one walk, completing the shutout in just 77 pitches.
“She just moves it so well. … She’s hard to hit,” Ulrey said. Cotsamire has yet to surrender a run this postseason, having pitched three straight shutouts.
“When she’s on, she’s tough.”
And the defense behind Cotsamire played to the same standard. The Bulldogs were laser-focused in the field, recording no errors in the championship effort.
“I knew if we could play our game, we would like the results,” Ulrey said. “And I think we did that today.”
WHAT’S NEXT: East Knox will look to continue its storybook postseason run Tuesday, against a Russia team that has outscored its first three tournament opponents 25-3.
The winner will square off against the winner of Bradford (the state’s fifth-ranked team) vs. Mechanicsburg (the state’s third-ranked team) in Friday’s regional final.
But on Saturday, the Bulldogs were focused on the present.
They hugged and high-fived after Cotsamire retired her final batter, well aware of what they’d just accomplished. They received medals and a trophy from their athletic director, Scott Brickner, and posed for photos with family and friends.
Melick, a multi-sport athlete with several years of varsity experience, said it was unlike anything she’d been a part of before.
“It was crazy,” she said afterwards, grinning widely as gold dangled from her neck. “It was fun, just getting to play together and everything like that. We’ve never experienced that before, so that was really fun.”
