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Eggens leads Mathews into regional final
Ace powers Mathews to final
By Tom Williams
KENT
Aggressive baserunning and a dominant performance by the Mahoning Valley’s top ace propelled the Mathews High School softball team to its third Division IV regional championship game in four seasons.
South Florida recruit Cheyenne Eggens struck out 14 batters and walked none in Thursday’s 9-0 victory over Western Reserve in a semifinal at Kent State University.
“We haven’t seen anyone as fast as her,” Blue Devils catcher Tory White said. “She’s really spectacular at pitching.
“We thought we were going to do a little better hitting,” White said. “But it didn’t turn out that way.”
Shortstop Jenny Stubbs, the Devils’ lead-off hitter, said she “was really excited to face [Eggens]. She was the fastest we saw.”
Eggens scattered four hits.
“I felt really good today,” Eggens said. “I was throwing a few more changeups than usual. I was trying to work them off-speed because they were fouling me off.”
The Mustangs (24-5) seized control of the game in their first at-bat. With two outs, Jenna Siefert reached after hit a hard shot off Devils pitcher Aleah Hughes’ glove and beating second baseman Alexis Miller’s throw.
Three pitches later, Meredith Grimes singled to deep left field. Siefert didn’t hesitate racing to third base where coach Alesha Perry waved her home as the ball was arriving in the infield. Third baseman Katie Deal bobbled the ball and Siefert scored without a throw.
“Our coaches say when you take a hard lead and she hits it, you’re gone,” said Siefert, who admitted she had no idea that the ball was close to her after she passed third. “I just go.”
Hughes alertly ended the threat when she saw Grimes trying to advance to the unguarded third base. Stubbs moved in just in time to take the throw and apply the tag to end the inning.
Eggens’ two-run homer in the fourth inning extended the Mustangs’ lead to 4-0. Siefert ignited the rally with a lead-off single. After Grimes reached on an error, Siefert scored when Marisa Odell grounded out.
With two outs, Eggens launched the 1-2 pitch from Hughes over the center-field wall.
“It felt really good, I haven’t hit like that in a long time,” Eggens said of her second homer of the season. “I just went up there to make contact. I didn’t expect it to go where it did but I’m happy it did.”
The Mustangs added five runs in the fifth inning. Eggens finished with three hits while Grimes and Lenna Hoff each had two hits including doubles.
Mathews head coach Jim Nicula said his team’s aggressiveness is intentional.
“We’ve tried to work on the things that maybe were weaknesses in the past,” Nicula said. “For the past couple of yeaars, I’ve had to hear too many times, ‘Your team doesn’t hit the ball enough, you rely on Cheyenne all the time.’
“The idea is to put pressure on the other team, whether it’s driving doubles or whether it’s [suicide bunts] or whether it’s stealing or bunting and running. We just want to constantly put on pressure. When you’re forcing them to make plays, it just adds to the toughness.”
The Mustangs will play Cuyahoga Heights (27-3) at noon Saturday. The Redskins eliminated Western Reserve (14-8) in last year’s regional final.
Miller, Maddie Kreitzburg and Ariana Gregorino had the Devils’ other hits.