The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Benko goes 4-for-4 as Dukes defeat Blue Devils, win district
It has been Wellington’s motto all season, and it rang true once again in the Division III, Avon Lake district championship game as the youthful No. 3 Dukes overcame a four-run deficit to stun top-seeded Independence, 9-5, at Avon Lake on May 16. “Yeah, that’s one of our mottos, ‘find a way’ and we did, you know, we were down 4-0 early, but I didn’t see any quit at all in our team,” Wellington coach Duane Sunagel said. “Our girls might be even too young to know that but we had full support from the whole team.” With the win, the Dukes earn their first district title since 2009 and will face either Wooster Triway or Northwestern in a Massillon regional semifinal at Massillon Washington High School on May 22 at 2 p.m. Touting an unparalleled seven freshmen, the Dukes (15-11) never quit, challenging the heavily favored Blue Devils (15-4) with prolonged at bats and a relentless effort on both sides of the ball. After the experienced bats of Independence struck for three runs in the first, including a home run from Jorden Kohut, and another run in the second inning, it was time for the freshmen from Wellington to seize their moment, and what a moment it was. The Dukes tallied three singles from Mik Paramore, Maile Oswald and Brooke Noss, setting up a threerun double from freshman Teddi Hardoby that not only cut the Blue Devils lead to 4-3 but also sparked the team with an abundance of energy and confidence. Hardoby was just looking to make an impact as she stepped into the biggest atbat of her young career. “To be a freshman, it’s crazy that we are all here and winning with seven of us,” Hardoby said. “The three-run double really helped us stay up, and we never give up for each other. We are always there.” Hardoby went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two walks and three RBI. That spark continued into the fourth inning as the Dukes strung together runners on first and third. Peyton Regal didn’t disappoint, notching a two-out, RBI double, followed by a late score from Oswald as the Dukes took their first lead of the game. Suddenly, Independence looked vulnerable as they made uncharacteristic fielding errors, giving Wellington multiple chances to strike. “Errors, the errors just killed us,” Independence coach Garry Moore said. “We made some errors, they made some big hits and they made some little hits. My girls are frustrated. We played well enough to win but those errors are just going to lead to a loss and they know that.” Independence finished with two errors. Freshman Kennedi Benko came through with an RBI single in the fourth, boosting Wellington’s lead to 6-4. It was the first of her four singles as she found herself on base each and every at bat, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one RBI. Benko looked back on Hardoby’s bases clearing RBI double as the catalyst for the team’s offensive eruption. “As soon as we got that, it really brought our heads up,” Benko said. “We just put everything together and we just put that momentum onto our defense and carried it onwards for the rest of the game.” With her offense now teeing off on Independence’s Ashleigh Porter, Regal (8-6) held her own in the circle, holding the powerful bats of the Blue Devils at bay in the latter innings. She went seven innings, allowing five runs off 10 hits while walking one and striking out one. Porter finished with five innings of work, allowing seven runs and 12 hits while striking out four. Independence’s Sarah Piteo, who finished 3-for-3 with three singles, did her best to will her team back with an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth, but right on cue, Wellington responded right back with an RBI single of their own from Noss. The Dukes made it their mission to answer Independence each time, staying one step ahead of the Blue Devils. Wellington finished with 14 hits. “We hit the ball hard,” Sunagel said. “Even some of the outs that they got, we hit the ball hard. It was just fantastic and I’m so proud of this team.” Hardoby added another run in the top of the sixth with a late squeeze as she took off for home and easily crossed the plate, upping the lead to 8-5. Oswald added the icing on the cake with an RBI single in the seventh. The Dukes will look to savor their district title, but also know that much tougher opponents are looming on the horizon. “We just have to stick together,” Hardoby said. “We have been doing that all year. We have all played with each other since we were really little, so it’s not any different.”