Clyde handles Bellevue in rare tournament meeting

CASTALIA — Clyde found itself in an unfamiliar position. After two softball wins over Bellevue earlier this season, the Fliers trailed for the first time against the Lady Red. The deficit didn't last long. Third-seeded Clyde scored eight runs in the bottom of the first inning, rolling to an 11-1 five-inning run-rule Division IV district semifinal win over fourth-seeded Bellevue on Tuesday at Lions Park. The two teams had not met in the postseason since 2016, a Bellevue win. "I thought we came out and played really well," Clyde coach Marc Marshall said. "They came out and scored a run. Their leadoff batter is a really good player. I thought after that, we settled in. When you score eight runs in the first, that makes a huge difference. That takes a lot of the pressure off." The Fliers improved to 15-8 and will face top-seeded and No. 3-ranked Bryan (20-0) at 5 p.m. Friday at Sylvania Northview for the district championship. The Golden Bears are led by North Carolina State commit Thea Staten. "We're going to get in the batting cage," Marshall said. "Their pitcher is very good. She's one of the top pitchers in the state of Ohio. We'll get to work tomorrow and juice up the machines." Chloe Easterwood led off the game with a single for the Lady Red (11-13). She stole second and scored on Mallory Hay's single for a quick 1-0 advantage. Clyde didn't wait long to respond. Ariah Farrar led off with a double before Ember Andres walked. Mya Stiefel followed with a run-scoring single, getting to second on the throw home. Amber Dillingham then singled up the middle, scoring two runs for a 3-1 lead. "It was one hit after another," Farrar said. "It starts with one batter. That energy can completely transform a team." Hay got the first out of the inning, but the Fliers kept raking. Teaghan Smith clobbered a double to the wall to score a run. After Madison Myers reached on an error, Addie Caudill's run-scoring double and Molly Guhn's RBI single made it 6-1. Back to the top of the lineup, Farrar walked before Andres popped out. Stiefel smacked a double to the gap to cap the scoring. Earlier in the day, Stiefel was named the Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division's Most Outstanding Performer. "I was so happy for her," said Marshall of Stiefel's award. "She's a four-year starter. She comes in as a quiet lady. She's a very good student. She comes in and does her job every day. She does whatever we ask of her. She's earned it." All told, Clyde sent 13 batters to the plate, scoring eight times on seven hits. Hay labored through 50 pitches in an inning that took nearly 25 minutes to complete. "I think we were kind of stunned of what they did," Bellevue coach Logan Hurst said. "We started slow on defense, but they clobbered the ball. They were hitting the ball where we weren't. We'd shift one way, and they'd hit it the other way." That was more than enough support for Myers, who settled in quite well after the first inning. She walked Ava Meyer to open the second inning, but Smith snagged a sinking liner at short to start a 6-3 double play. Myers gave up a leadoff single to Jaelynn Powers in the third inning, but got a grounder, flyout and popup back to herself to avoid any damage. "I felt like I got going after the first couple batters," Myers said. "I had to get ready and get into a flow." Clyde added on in the third inning. Farrar walked before Andres pushed a home run over the fence on a windy, warm day in Castalia. "She has the power," said Marshall of Andres. "I think she has three or four home runs on the year, so she has the power. It's always nice when they pitch around somebody and the person behind them can contribute like Ember did today." Bellevue had a good chance to score in the fourth inning. Ryleigh Knutti, Addison Rich and MyahAnn Reesman singled, but Myers bounced back with a popup and fielder's choice groundout to get out of the inning. Myers needed just six pitches in a 1-2-3 fifth inning. She singled in Stiefel, who was hit by a pitch, to finish the game via run rule in the bottom of the fifth inning. "She's going to battle," Marshall said. "She's not going to give in. She's going to hit her spots, like she always does. She's a bulldog. She'll throw strikes. She gives us a chance defensively." Farrar said there was a little extra motivation for the Fliers in another chapter of the Route 20 Rivalry. Clyde topped Bellevue 6-0 at home April 8 and 8-3 in a game that started April 24 and ended May 7 in Bellevue. "We all look at social media posts," Farrar said. "So when we saw that they posted it's hard to beat a team three times, that motivated us a little bit. Everyone goes into the tournament 0-0, so you have to play your best ball." While Clyde's season continues, Bellevue's wraps up. It brings an end to the careers of Meyer and Reesman, the Lady Red's lone seniors. "I told the team out there that anyone that wants to be considered to be a captain in the future to take note from our two seniors," Hurst said. "Up until the last pitch, they played with a huge amount of heart. Their biggest concern all season long was keeping their teammates in it. It was never selfish." While it's tough to look ahead after a stinging loss, the future is bright for Bellevue. "We have a lot of sophomores this year," Hurst said. "Hats off to Jaelynn Powers, who was our freshman DP most of the season and then came through with some clutch hits all season. There's nothing but positives to look forward to. It's a short break and then we'll get right back to it." Bellevue 100 00 — 1 6 1 Clyde 802 01 — 11 11 0 WP: Myers. LP: Hay. 2B: (C) Farrar, Stiefel, Flynn, Smith, Caudill. HR: (C) Andres