AKRON — Ace pitcher Addy Bocock had one final inning between her and a Division VI state championship on Thursday night.
With the Danville faithful filling the visitors’ stands, the chant of “Addy, Addy, Addy” echoed through Akron’s Firestone Stadium.
The Blue Devils’ righthander did what she had done all night — threw a goose egg in the bottom of the ninth to complete a 2-0 win over West Jefferson to cap a state crown.
“I’m so proud of all of these girls, and this community spending all of the time they do in support,” Danville coach Charlie Duncan said.
The ninth inning was not as simple as three outs and hoist the trophy.
(Photos by Diane Bemiller)
Bocock began the inning striking out the first two batters. But with the Roughriders down to their last strike, freshman second baseman Mia Burgett smashed a triple to right field.
Gatorade Player of the Year Jenna Mannon stepped to the plate and Duncan had Bocock intentionally walk the dangerous hitter. That put the tying runs on base.
“We basically started with two outs, we knew what they were capable of, so that was the decision we made,” Duncan said.
Bocock then rose to the occasion by earning her 15th strikeout to finish the complete-game performance.
“They (West Jeff) have the Player of the Year in (Jenna) Mannon; she beat out Addy by one vote,” Duncan said.
But Bocock brought home the state championship trophy for the fifth-ranked Blue Devils.
Make no mistake though, it was a nerve-wracking affair.
In the bottom of the seventh, Roughriders’ veteran coach Jim Stevens tried to “steal” the game. Mannon led off with a sharp double and moved to third on Payton Curry’s sacrifice bunt.
With two outs, Stevens went all in and had Mannon attempt to steal home.
“I kind of knew she was going to steal, which is kind of crazy to try and steal home, right? But she (Mannon) is a very fast runner,” Bocock said. “But Morgan (Henkins, the left-handed freshman catcher) had it.”
The result was not a victory on a heroic play, but the third out leading to two more innings of action.
The eighth inning slid past, almost without notice.
Then, in the top of the ninth, Ruby Bartok was hit by a pitch. Henkins followed with a triple that nearly left the yard, hitting the upper section of the left field fence.
That broke the seal, scoring Bartok for what proved to be the game-winning run.
Liz John then slapped a grounder to third that was scored a hit, which plated Henkins with the insurance run.
That completed a 25-5 season and wrapped up the school’s second state softball championship. The Blue Devils won the Division IV title in 2008 and finished as runner-up in 2017.
“We did what we do, and I am so darn proud of each and every one. Starting with the seniors all the way down,” Duncan said. “I’m really proud of the freshmen for stepping up, not acting like freshmen.
“They’ve been doing great things.”
Still, Duncan said his young team played through some inexperience early in the season. A one-run loss to Centerburg proved to be a springboard.
“Centerburg beat us by one run,” Duncan said. “We stranded 12 runners and that is a game we shouldn’t have lost. We’re never going to lose a game like that again, and we didn’t.”
(Photos by Dan Werner)
