AKRON — Former big league sluggers Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco were known as the Bash Brothers.
Molly Goon, Belle Dalton and Taylor Morgan are Hillsdale’s Swat Sisters.
Sophomores Goon and Dalton and junior Morgan have played starring roles all season long for the top-seeded Falcons and the spotlight found them again in Thursday’s 6-3 win over backyard rival and No. 3 seed Loudonville in the Division IV district championship game at Firestone Stadium.
Hillsdale scored four runs in the home half of the sixth to erase a 3-2 deficit. Goon drove in the game-tying run with a sharp single to center on a 1-2 count before Dalton plated the go-ahead run with a ringing single to right center. Morgan put the exclamation point on the rally when her long fly ball to left was misplayed for a two-base error, allowing both Goon and Dalton to score.
“This is one of the few games we’ve been behind since Ashland (in the Wendy’s Spring Classic),” Hillsdale coach Hannah Moore said. “It was a really good test … and they didn’t quit fighting.
“I’m really proud of them.”
No. 9 hitter Jacey Sermulis ignited Hillsdale’s game-winning rally in the sixth with a one-out infield single. Sermulis moved to second on leadoff hitter Kylie Ohl’s sacrifice bunt before Lacey Fickes drew a two-out walk, bringing Goon to the plate. Hillsdale’s shortstop promptly fell behind in the count before rocketing a single to center, plating Sermulis and tying the score at 3-3.
“Honestly, it makes me more relaxed,” Goon said of falling behind in the count. “I just have to clear my mind and see that ball.”
Dalton, who had been intentionally walked in her previous plate appearance, jumped on the first good pitch she saw and scorched a single to the gap in right center. Fickes came around from second to score the go-ahead run standing up.
“When I get intentionally walked — this is not the first time it has happened — it makes me mad,” Dalton said. “I go after that next pitch and I’m ready for revenge.”
The left-handed hitting Morgan followed with a tailing fly ball to left. The ball glanced off the Loudonville outfielder’s outstretched glove, allowing both Goon and Dalton to score.
“We never stopped fighting and we pushed through to the end,” Morgan said. “We came up clutch with two outs as well. That’s what we talked about (Wednesday) in practice.”
Morgan, Hillsdale’s hard-throwing pitcher, made quick work of the Redbirds (15-8) in the top of the seventh. She recorded a pair of strikeouts — her 10th and 11th of the evening — before inducing a groundout to short to end the game. Morgan scattered four hits and benefitted from an error-free defense.
Meanwhile, the normally sure-handed Redbirds committed four errors. Three of Hillsdale’s six runs were unearned.
“We always play stellar defense and we just weren’t as clean tonight as we usually are,” Loudonville coach Serena Fenton said. “That was the biggest downfall.”
Goon and Sermulis had two hits apiece for the Falcons. Goon scored twice and drove in a run, while Sermulis scored a run and plated Hillsdale’s first run with a second-inning single. Dalton, Ohl and Willow Funk each had a hit for the Falcons.
Olyvia Fenton tripled and scored a run for the Redbirds. Goldie Layton scored a run and drove in a run, while Brooke Christine knocked in two runs with a third-inning single. McKenzie Cutlip singled and scored while Morgan McClue had a base hit.
Hillsdale (21-3) ran its winning streak to 18 games. The Falcons will play Bristol in the regional semifinals in Strongsville on Wednesday at a time to be determined. Bristol advanced with a 2-1 win over McDonald in the Jackson district final.
