Experienced Northeastern has high hopes

NORTHEASTERN SOFTBALL

Coach: Wendy Olinger

Last season: 20-3; OHC champion at 14-0

Next game: Tue., host Greeneview, 5 p.m.

Wendy Olinger is in her mid-30s now with two kids, long removed from her fastpitch playing days.

But no matter how old the Northeastern High School softball coach gets, she’ll never forget a particularly rainy afternoon in Ashland, Ohio in 1995.

“We were so ready for that game,” she said, her voice trailing off.

Then a sophomore first baseman on Springfield South’s Division I, state semifinalist squad, Olinger watched in heartbreak as Akron Springfield celebrated a game-winning shot down the left-field line that sent the Wildcats home with a 1-0 loss.

“It was pouring when we got there, but they finally got the field ready. They ended up moving us to another field, a men’s softball field, which was a lot bigger,” Olinger recalled.

“We finished our at-bat, then their first batter stepped in and ripped a shot (off ace Mindy Dasher) right down the line. It got past the left fielder and went for a home run. It was 0-0 until the bottom of the eighth when they got that hit.”

As painful as the loss was, that unforgettable season remains a cherished one for Olinger, who hopes to instill in the Jets the same fierce work ethic and pride that she gleaned from former Wildcat coaches Greg Newland and Pete Cook.

“When we hit that softball field every day it was all business — time to go to work,” Olinger said. “We worked together as a team day in and day out. It was our own family away from home.

“I’m wanting these Northeastern girls to be like that, and they are working well together. You’ve got to have that camaraderie to be able to function. You’re together from tryouts in February until the middle of May. You just have to have that bond and that tie.”

In her first season at Northeastern, Olinger inherits an experienced squad from former coach Randy Elzy, who accepted a job close to home at Washington Court House to better assist his aging parents.

The Jets return all but first baseman Ashlen Lockwood from last year’s 20-3 team, which won the Ohio Heritage Conference title outright at 14-0.

Not since 1984, when it was a Central Buckeye Conference member, had Northeastern won a league softball title.

“They look really good,” Olinger said. “I have eight starters back, but we just have to keep it focused.”

Five seniors lead an experienced squad: second baseman Allison Castle, first baseman Spencer Byerly, shortstop Leigha Waugh, third baseman Sarah Moeller and catcher Kayla Long.

“They’ve been varsity their whole career,” Olinger said. “It’s a good group of young ladies. They’re really strong and they work well together.”

Castle, headed to Division III stronghold Ohio Northern, led the Jets in hitting at .461 with 11 doubles and 32 RBIs.

Byerly, a first-team, OHC pick, hit .455 with six triples and 25 RBIs while Waugh, a second-team all-league selection, batted .447 with four home runs and 29 RBIs.

Five Jets hit .400 or better last spring, including All-OHC pitcher Kaitlyn Moore. The sophomore went 20-3 with a 2.78 ERA, struck out 147 in 141 innings, batted .449, and had a team-high 40 RBIs.

Moore’s sister Casey (named honorable-mention, OHC) hit .418 with 23 RBIs and anchored the defense in center field. Moeller (.319, 27 RBIs) and Long (.365, 20 stolen bases) round out a potent Jets lineup.

“We’d like to defend our league title, but our goal is to get farther into the (Division III) tournament,” Olinger said, referring to last year’s 10-6 loss to Arcanum. “That’s one of the games I’ll remind them about to keep us focused.”