Mount Vernon falls to Licking Valley in battle for the ages

The Mount Vernon and Licking Valley softball teams put up another battle for the ages on April 24.

The teams had played just 10 days earlier, with the Licking County League leading Panthers pulling out a thrilling 3-2 victory in eight innings.

Friday was a shot at redemption for the Jackets.

This time offense ruled the day, as the teams combined for 23 hits. They battled back and forth all game long, but Licking Valley was finally able to pull out the 13-9 victory in eight innings.

MV had taken a 2-0 lead in the first when Lexi Ringwalt doubled home Kendall Melton and Hailey Rudrick. But the Panthers responded with three in the top of the second.

The Jackets bounced back with three in the bottom half of the inning. Those major ebbs and flows of momentum continued throughout the game with MV’s Keely Pollard doubling home Mea Joyner. with the tying run in the bottom of the seventh.

But, LV made it nearly impossible for the Jackets to come back, scoring six times in the top of the eighth inning to finally end it.

Pollard led the Jackets with two doubles and a single. Rudrick added a single and a double, while Isla Graham tripled. Jocelyn Scarbury and Lexi Ringwalt both doubled.

Scarbury started on the hill for MV, striking out four in five innings of work. Beck finished up, fanning three.

Prior to that game, Miranda Oswalt and Gabby Beck combined on a two-hitter as Mount Vernon beat Heath, 11-1 on April 22.

Oswalt pitched the first four innings, striking out three. Beck fanned three in her inning of work.

Offensively, Rudrick hit a home run and drove in three runs to lead MV. Scarbury added a single and a double, while Taylor Zimmerman had two singles. Brooklyn Cook doubled in two runs.

The Jackets rebounded to beat Watkins Memorial, 8-5, on Monday.

MV pounded three home runs — one each from Cook, Rudrick and Harley Styndl. Styndl also added a single, while Graham had two singles and Scarbury a double.

Beck started on the hill for MV, striking out three in 3.2 innings of work. Scarbury finished up, fanning two.

Baseball

Heath rallied from a 6-3 deficit, breaking open its game with Mount Vernon with a six-run seventh inning and went on to a 13-6 victory on April 22.

Jax McPeek and Nolan Hershberger each had a double and a single to lead MV. Cooper Waers and Dakota Stafford both had two singles.

Zack Beck started on the hill for the Jackets, fanning four in six innings. Stafford pitched the final frame.

MV scored two in the first and added two more in the sixth to pin a 4-1 loss on Licking Valley on April 24.

Gavin Gorsuch, Greyson Deem and Hershberger each smacked a double to lead MV.

Coen Armstrong went the distance on the hill, fanning six.

The Jackets then fell to Watkins Memorial, 7-2, on Monday.

Waers had three singles to pace MV. Hershberger added two singles, while McPeek doubled. Deem, Travis Burak and Beck all singled.

Hershberger tossed the first five innings for MV, striking out five. Dammon Wolfe finished up.