Throughout the history of Wayne County Athletic League, there is no question who has ruled supreme on the softball diamond: Hillsdale. In fact, since 1989, in a span of 36 years, the Falcons have won 28 league titles, leaving no question who the queens on the diamond are.
It was only fitting that Norwayne (19-3) clinched a perfect 14-0 league season for the second straight year against Hillsdale May 15. Winning 8-0, the Bobcats made back-to-back perfect seasons for the second time in program history, including the 2019 and 2021 seasons, with COVID wiping out the 2020 season.
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“It feels great,” said senior pitcher Abby Workman about going 14-0 in back-to-back seasons. “I’m really grateful for this team and all the players on it and all the contributions to this team to make this possible.”
Continuing a game that was postponed due to rain earlier in the season, Norwayne and Hillsdale picked up in the second inning.
Norwayne's Piper Moore scores in the fifth inning on an RBI single from Landyn Berry.Joshua McWilliams
In the third inning, things got dicey for the home nine as the Falcons looked to erase the early 1-0 deficit on the scoreboard. Aurora Martin singled, Kiki McFadden singled to put runners at first and second and after a groundout that advanced both runners, Jordyn Fickes was hit in the shoulder to load the bases.
That brought up the ever-dangerous Kennedy Fickes, who swings one of the best clutch bats in the area, and this was a prime-time moment. Instead, Workman induced a grounder to shortstop MaKenna Heyden, who fired to home plate, and catcher Riley Gwinn squeezed for the force out. The next batter, Macy Ritchey, then grounded out to Landyn Berry, and just like that, Workman was out of the jam.
“I was trying to get them to put the ball in play on the ground so that we could get outs,” said Workman. “Our defense did a great job behind me, and I am just very grateful for that.”
Her coach, Bree Gill, couldn’t have agreed more.
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“It was good to see Abby in that situation and to work through that," she said. "That was huge, and that could have changed the outcome of the game. It was one of those moments she battled through, and we worked through as a team.
“Going into tonight, we knew that the league title wasn’t on the line, so the pressure was off. I told the girls, though, ‘I want to be in pressure situations against a good team, and the goal at the beginning of the season was to be undefeated again, and I wanted that to happen for them.’”
And did they deliver. Led by their three seniors, C.J. Moore, Workman and Gwinn, the trio went 7-for-11, roped three doubles, homered, drove in three runs and scored five times. The highlight came in the sixth inning when Workman smashed an 0-2 pitch for a two-run homer to dead center to score her sister, Maddy Workman, and make the score 8-0.
“I was looking for an inside pitch, but I got down in the count, so that didn’t help,” said Abby Workman. “Then I did get an inside one, and I was grateful for that.”
Inside the circle, Workman finished with 11 strikeouts and scattered seven hits in going the distance for the win.
With the win, the Bobcats look as dialed in as they have all year and look ready to continue their tournament season.
“It’s good to see, and it’s big this time of year,” said Gill. “We put some tough teams on the schedule (Jackson, Perry). We lost some tough games, and we really beat ourselves. We talked about that in practice yesterday. We talked about there is no more learning from it. We just have to make those corrections. I saw that happen today at the plate and defensively. I am glad to see we’re dialed in and hope to see the fruits of that in the tournament.”
Just as big as winning the Wayne County Athletic League crown and taking that top title away from Jeromesville was witnessing Workman, Gwinn and Moore’s final regular season for Norwayne. It’s a trio that has shown grit, fight and proven to be leaders on and off the diamond. For Gill, it was her first group of freshmen when taking the job, and it couldn’t have been a better group.
“I really don’t have words for it, to be honest,” said Gill. “The buy-in that I’ve gotten from those three has set the standard because they’ve led the entire way. I know that I’ve had their commitment all the way through over the years. They’re at all the workouts. They give 100%, and they hold the team accountable.
“I wish they could stay forever because they are the type of players that you dream of having, not even just talent-wise, but for their character and who they are as people. As a coach, it means the world to have girls like that.”
It’s something that wasn’t lost on Workman as she keeps a laser focus on what’s next — Monday, May 18, hosting Chippewa in a Division V district semifinal at 5 p.m.
“It’s meant a lot,” said Abby Workman. “I am very grateful for winning the league, and it’s just been great to play with my teammates. Going forward, we just need to play the way we know how to play, that’s with confidence, play all-out and play for each other.”
