Schnitzler hit a hard ground ball to right field, scoring sophomore Kendall Massie from second base to give the Cougars all the cushion they would need in a 1-0 victory over Greenville in a Division II regional semifinal game on Wednesday at Wright State University.
The seventh-ranked Cougars advanced to a regional finals for the third straight season. They will play No. 2 Granville (28-3) in a at 5 p.m. Friday at Wright State University. The winner will play either Canfield or Medina Buckeye in a D-II state semifinal at 10 a.m. Friday, May 31, at Akron Firestone Stadium.
Cougars junior Kyanne Tyson threw a complete-game shutout. She allowed five hits without a walk, striking out five.
“She was very focused today,” Schalnat said. “She did a great job and she hit her spots. I believe she’s gotten stronger and stronger as the season has gone. I think she gets stronger as the game goes, too. She did a nice job and handled the pressure today. She did a great job on the mound.”
Senior Natalee Fyffe, sophomores Brenna Fyffe, Cara Cammon and Annie Fincham, freshman Chloe Glass and Schnitzler each had hits for Kenton Ridge, which improved to 27-4.
“I felt like we did a good job putting the ball in play,” Schalnat said. “The girls went up there and were aggressive. Some of the balls we hit hard, they just caught them.”
Fincham tripled in the first inning, but the Cougars weren’t able to bring her home.
Greenville junior Zoey Burns and sophomore Kendall Cromwell each singled in the first inning, but Tyson worked out of the jam with a fly ball and a strikeout.
The Cougars stranded a runner at second base in both the second and third innings, but were finally able to bring home a run with two outs in the fourth. Massie walked, stole second base and scored on Schnitzler’s single to give the Cougars a 1-0 advantage.
The Lady Wave (27-4) put runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings, but were unable to tie the game. Tyson retired all three batters in the seventh inning to seal the win.
In the other regional semifinal game, Granville scored on an error in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat Indian Lake 1-0. Granville senior Ally Ernsberger struck out 15 batters in the game, allowing four hits and no walks.
“They have a good pitcher and they’re sound defensively,” Schalnat said. “They’re going to hit the ball, too. I think it’s going to be a really great matchup. I think we’re pretty comparable. I think it’s going to be a great regional final game.”
The Cougars are seeking their first trip to the state tournament since 2013. They also played in regional final games in 2017, 2022 and 2023, but were unable to advance to the final four.
They’re hoping to break through this season.
“They’re focused and they want to accomplish what we set out to accomplish at the beginning of the year,” Schalnat said. “They want to achieve those goals.”
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