Polar Bears beat Galion to return to top of district

SHELBY — Before the season, Margaretta senior shortstop Lilly Edwards made two points about the Polar Bears — they were young, but they had a bond that should lead to a fun season. Two months later, consider them grown up and having the time of their lives. "No one in the area thought that we would make it this far," Edwards said. "We really just came together and believed in ourselves and knew we could it." These ever-improving Polar Bears are Division III district champions after defeating Galion on Friday night, 5-4. It's their second title in three years, and fourth in program history (1987, 1992, 2022). Edwards is the only player still around who started on that team two seasons ago. Some of these players experienced district final defeat last spring. They and the rest of Margaretta's (19-10) hard-working bunch experienced the elation of victory this time around. "That game was a small capsule of our season," Margaretta coach Dale Dawson said. "There were numerous times in the season we could've quit. Tonight, we fell behind in the first, had some demoralizing plays in the fifth. These kids don't quit." The biggest moment of the night came from someone who two months ago didn't look like she'd play a major factor. Senior Katelyn Cox wasn't in the opening day batting lineup. But she found a timing mechanism that worked for her at the plate, and she made hard contact consistently enough that once she got a chance, Dawson couldn't take her out. "I just went out there and had fun, and my hard work paid off," Cox said. With district final tied and two on with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Cox lined the second pitch she saw into the right-field corner for a two-run double and a 5-3 lead that held up. "That was after me and Ellie Belak hit each other in the outfield, so I was trying to catch my breath," Cox said. "I was like, 'I've got to show up for my team here. They're depending on me.'" Just before Cox, Delaney Fields had delivered to tie the game. She had struck out her first two plate appearances, but spent time between innings hitting into Margaretta's soft toss net. It paid off, on a 3-2 count, when Fields singled into right to score Edwards, who had led off bottom five with a single. "I knew what I needed to do for my team to have success, and I achieved that," Fields said. "... I knew I needed to change something, so I went out to practice, because there's no success without practice." Margaretta held the lead from there. Kaitlyn McKee led off the seventh with a home run, but senior ace Skylar Colvin struck out three of the game's final four batters to end it. "I told myself I needed to do it for my team," Colvin said. "It was 100% for my team, and I managed to pull through on it." Colvin's 11 strikeouts on Friday night set a new program single-season record with 234 and counting. After transferring from Clyde for her junior year and then pitching single-digit innings due to a hand injury last spring, Colvin now holds the single-game and single-season punchout marks for the Polar Bears. "A lot of work has gone into that," Colvin said. "I took a lot of time in the offseason to get ready." That late clutch hitting came on the backs of a fast start for Margaretta. After Galion scored a run in the top of the first, Edwards singled with one out in the bottom half. Then with two outs, Cassidy Lane launched a no-doubt home run to right-center field to take a 2-1 lead. "I didn't know I crushed it that hard," Lane said. "Since they scored that run, we got a little nervous. But we had the solid part of our lineup coming up, and we definitely showed it." "(Lane) is a big-time kid," Dawson added. "She comes through big time in basketball, and comes through big time there." Galion took the lead back with two outs in the top of the fifth, when Destiny Blue blooped in a two-strike single to bring home two runs for a 3-2 lead. "Great team over there, holy heck," Dawson said. "All the way through the lineup I was impressed. Good pitching, good coaching, just fundamental softball. It's a district final." Edwards and Colvin singled on the first two pitches of the bottom half, but Madison Beck struck out two batters to raise the stakes as Fields stepped in. The sophomore came through. Then it was Cox's turn, and after being the last Margaretta player to leave the practice field on Thursday night, she was the hero on Friday night. "Is it a coincidence that she got the game-winning hit? I don't think so," Dawson said. "That's how you win games. That's how you win district championships." The final out came via Colvin strikeout, leading to hugs and celebrations near the center of the diamond. The Polar Bears had to watch Huron do the same last spring, pushing them to put in the work to avoid that feeling again. "We put in a lot of work at practice and all the games," Fields said. "And our team chemistry is very helpful in our success." And so Margaretta's season continues. The Polar Bears actually play for the SBC Bay Division co-title on Monday at Edison before a regional semifinal matchup with the winner of Saturday's district final between Defiance Tinora and Oak Harbor. That regional game will be Wednesday in Findlay. Margaretta has only won one regional game in its history, back in 1987. But who's going to tell this group that they can't go win some more? "They have effort," Dawson said. "They have heart. They don't quit. Battle, battle, battle, that's what we do. Very proud of them." Galion 100 020 1 — 4 4 1Margaretta 200 030 x — 5 6 0 WP: Colvin. LP: Beck 2B: (M) Cox. HR: (G) McKee; (M) Lane