AKRON, Ohio — He has won seven state championships and been to the Final Four 15 times during a hall of fame career, but Strasburg coach Bud Weisgarber never gets tired of playing on the state’s biggest stage.
“It never gets old,” Weisgarber said after the Tigers stopped Hillsdale 2-0 in the Division IV state semifinals Thursday at Firestone Stadium. “I enjoy it every time I get here.”
Junior pitcher Hannah Duff made sure her coach enjoyed himself, limiting Hillsdale to three hits. The Falcons (24-4) left five runners stranded, including four in scoring position.
“If you don’t score a run, you’re not going to beat anybody,” Hillsdale coach Ben Bolen said. “We left runners at second three or four times and you just can’t do it.
“We did what we could, but we didn’t have the timely hitting. That is what you have to have at this stage.”
Breaking the Ice: Duff and Hillsdale sophomore Sydney Long traded zeros for the first two innings before the Tigers (25-6) scored an unearned run in the top of the third. Catcher Hannah Reifenschneider drew a one out walk — Long’s only free pass of the day — and was lifted in favor of pinch runner Ava Ray, who stole second and came around to score on a two-out Hillsdale error.
The Tigers added an insurance run in the sixth when Kim Addy stroked a leadoff double and moved to third on Emma Clark’s sacrifice bunt. Hannah Keffer then laid down a bunt that was fielded by Hillsdale catcher Kaylee Cline. Addy initially started down the line but retreated toward third as Cline threw to third baseman Shelbi Long. Addy stopped in her tracks and again headed for home, beating the return throw.
“I saw the throw was a little higher so I just went for it,” Addy said. “I knew I needed to get another run on the board.”
The two-run cushion gave Duff a little breathing room.
“It makes me a little bit more comfortable,” Duff said. “You still have to stay focused.”
Not Without a Fight: Trailing 2-0 going to the bottom of the seventh, Hillsdale made a final stand. Bethany Heiby led off with a single and Kendra Cline drew a two-out walk, bringing the potential game-winning run to the plate. Emily Crossen, who had doubled to the base of the wall in left in her previous at bat, turned on a two-strike Duff offering but Strasburg left fielder Jordan McNiff tracked it down near the wall for the final out.
“Another 10 feet and we’re (sitting) here happy,” Bolen said. “I had a pretty good feeling until that final out. I thought there was still a good chance we could win it.”
Community Support: With a combined 29 Final Four appearances and 13 state championships, Hillsdale and Strasburg boast the two most storied small-school programs in the state. Not surprisingly, fans from both communities turned out in force Thursday morning. The stands were filled to near capacity, a sea of Hillsdale’s columbia blue blanketing the third base line and the orange of Strasburg splashed down the first base line.
“You hear it from everybody who has been here before. They always come and tell us they are behind us and they really are,” said Heiby, one of just four seniors on the Hillsdale roster. “It’s a great feeling to look up and see that.”
