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Anderson pitches West Branch over Salem
West Branch to meet Ursuline in district
By Dan Hiner
BELOIT
Jordan Anderson had to wait for her chance in the circle. And the West Branch sophomore took advantage of her opportunity.
Anderson led the West Branch softball team to a 3-1 win over Salem in a Division II sectional final Thursday at West Branch High School.
Kelsey Byers and Kylie Coffelt pitched for West Branch last season. Anderson played right field as a freshman and didn’t start until this season.
“I’ve played [right field] before,” Anderson said. “I mean, I gotta help the team.”
The Quakers (14-9) got to Anderson early. Bailee Thorn and Elly Exline hit back-to-back singles to lead off the top of the first inning. Exline was thrown out attempting to steal second, but Thorn scored from third on the throw.
After singles by Peyton Alazaus and Delaney Rito, Sam Morris tied the game at 1 for the Warriors (24-3) in the bottom of the fourth, driving home Alazaus with a single.
Destany Blake loaded the bases with an infield single in the next at-bat. Ryley Pittman drew a walk, forcing home Rito and giving the Warriors a 2-1 lead and Riley Mesler added an RBI on a fielder’s choice.
Anderson was in control after the first inning. She retired 15 of the next 16 batters, including 13 straight after a single by Thorn in the third. It was Anderson’s 21st win of the season.
Anderson allowed one run on five hits and struck out six. She didn’t allow a walk in a complete game.
“I think [Anderson] pitched two innings for us last year,” West Branch head coach Sis Woods said. “When I had the pitchers I had last year, I didn’t want to take innings away from them because they were splitting it anyway. But she has stepped up and done an excellent job for us this year.
“Tonight, she pitched very well, kept us in the game, gave us time to get our hits and runs on the board for her.”
Taylor Thorpe took the loss. She allowed three runs on six hits and two walks. She struck out eight in a complete game.
It was the third time the Warriors beat the Quakers this season. West Branch won the first meeting 4-3 and the second 4-1.
“We wanted to be in a 50-50 game with a state runner-up, and we were three times this year,” Salem head coach Mike Thorpe said. “But in the end, they make a couple more plays then we do.”
The Quakers were eliminated from the playoffs, but their season isn’t over. They will play East Palestine on Saturday and Carrollton on Wednesday.
The Quakers had one of their best seasons.
Salem will have a chance to break the program’s single-season wins record.
Hayden Carner set the single-season RBI record and Meg Rossero extender her hit streak to 19 games with a single in the seventh inning. Taylor Thorpe set the single-season wins record and has 201 strikeouts, breaking her previous school record of 200 from last season.
“I’m proud,” Mike Thorpe said. “The whole team did a great job. They really came in and believed for seven innings and that’s all I can ask for.”
The Warriors will play Ursuline in a district semifinal on Tuesday at the YSU Softball Complex.
West Branch beat Cardinal Mooney 5-3 in the district final last year in Alliance. The Warriors advanced to the state final, where they lost to LeGrange Keystone in 12 innings.
“We come out and play our game,” Woods said. “We don’t worry who’s on the other side because we don’t have control of them. We just come out, and if we do our job, we have a chance to win a game.”