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Nyquist’s late slam gives Warren life, but Grove City closes out 6-5 playoff win

Warren’s Alexis Nyquist belted a seventh-inning grand slam that brought the Lady Dragons to within one run, 6-5 during Tuesday’s District 10 Class 4A quarterfinal playoff game against Grove City at Hickory High School in Hermitage.

HERMITAGE – With one swing of the bat, Warren freshman Alexis Nyquist injected life into her team when it appeared they were down and out. It was almost, but not quite enough for an epic comeback.

Trailing 6-1 in the bottom of the seventh and the bases loaded, Nyquist cleared the left field fence for a grand slam, bringing the Lady Dragons to within one at 6-5 with one out. That would be the final score, however, as Grove City pitcher Bailee Malz was able to retire Warren’s two senior leaders, Maddie Loutzenhiser and Megan Wortman to preserve the win for her team in the District 10 Class 4A quarterfinals Tuesday at Hickory High School.

It wasn’t quite the storybook ending Warren was hoping for, but they once again showed the resiliency they have displayed all season.

“If the seventh inning showed anything, it’s that we will be back,” said Warren coach Jon Sitler.

Up to that point, it wasn’t the best performance the Lady Dragons have put forth this season, as three errors and a couple of mental mistakes proved to be costly.

Warren’s Julia Lobdell gives a fist bump to first base coach Mark Nyquist after reaching base during Tuesday’s District 10 Class 4A playoff game against Grove City.

Grove City put the pressure on right from the get go, with three consecutive singles by Gabrielle Herald, Jordan Malczak and Lauren Wentz giving them a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Malczak came around to score on a wild pitch, putting Warren in an early 2-0 hole.

Pitcher Ellie Lobdell settled down, striking out a pair in the second, and Warren was able to get one back in the bottom of the frame on an RBI single by Celia Chase, who went 2-for-3 on the day. The Lady Dragons had the bases loaded with two outs, but Nyquist’s drive into the gap was tracked down by Camryn Billing to end the threat.

The middle innings saw a whole lot of pitching, as the Lady Dragons didn’t put a runner in scoring position in the third, fourth, fifth or sixth frames.

Grove City, meanwhile, scored an unearned run in the fourth, with Katie Smoker reaching and scoring on a wild pitch.

In the seventh, Jordyn Anderson led off with a solo home run, followed by a single, error, walk and RBI single from Kelly McClearn to make it 5-1. Camryn Billing brought in another run with a fielder’s choice to make it 6-1, a run that proved to carry significant importance.

Warren’s Ellie Lobdell delivers a pitch during the fourth inning of Tuesday’s District 10 Class 4A quarterfinal game against Grove City.

“It’s a very tough loss and awful way to end the season; there’s really no way to sugarcoat it,” Sitler said. “We can and should play much better than we did today. This was not acceptable and I’m hoping our entire team feels the same.”

That being said, they showed no quit.

Ellie Lobdell, Grace Wortman and Chase singled in consecutive at-bats, setting the stage for Nyquist’s dramatics.

Grove City advances to play General McLane, an 8-7 winner over Slippery Rock, in the semifinals on Thursday.

For Warren, it was the end of a great run for its seniors – Loutzenhiser and Wortman.

Warren’s Gracie Wood jumps off second base during Tuesday’s District 10 Class 4A playoff game against Grove City at Hickory High School in Hermitage. Wood had two hits in the game for the Lady Dragons.

“We are losing two very valuable team captains who led this team of seven freshmen and sophomores and 10 others with an enormous amount of character,” Sitler said.

“We owe them an enormous amount of gratitude and whatever we do the next two years will be thanks in part to them.

“We are graduating six seniors who have been a part of a winning tradition here, a legacy; not just a tradition of winning games, but of winning playoff games and championships, and we have to get that back. We have to take it back, for all the players who took it there.”

For the players coming back, they know there is plenty of potential to build on this season.

“We lost five of seven games by one run and all of those, in fact should have been wins,” Sitler said. “How do we do that? That’s what we are going to figure out; how to be determined to win, rather than worried we are going to lose. And with seven of nine starters coming back, we are going to come together. The off-season will be a huge key.”

– – –

GROVE CITY (6)

Anderson 4-1-2-1, Herald C 4-0-3-0, McDowell CR 0-2-0-0, J. Malczak SS 4-1-2-0, Wentz 3B 3-1-1-1, K. McClearn 2-0-1-1, Scearz CR 0-0-0-0, Shingledecker RF 3-0-0-0, Billing 4-0-0-1, Smoker 2B 4-1-1-0, T. McClearn DP 3-0-0-0, Malz P 0-0-0-0, Totals 31-6-10-4

WARREN (5)

Nyquist SS 4-1-1-4, Loutzenhiser 1B 4-0-0-0, M. Wortman C 4-0-1-0, Hoffman 3B 3-0-0-0, Wood CF 3-1-2-0, E. Lobdell P 2-0-1-0, Munksgard CR 0-1-0-0, G. Wortman LF 3-1-2-0, Chase RF 3-1-2-1, J. Lobdell 2B 2-0-0-0, Totals 28-5-9-5

Grove City 200 010 3 – 6

Warren 010 000 4 -5

HR – Nyquist (W), Anderson (G); WP – Malz; LP – E. Lobdell

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