Fearsome foursome powers Johnstown softball back among Ohio’s best
JOHNSTOWN — The way Addie Triplett has been hitting, it was surprising to see the shortstop’s first-pitch swing send the ball only bouncing off the left-field fence.
Triplett, however, did not wait on base for long Friday. Teammate Dakota Staffan drove her in with a line drive over the center-field fence for a two-run home run as they are two of the four seniors leading the Johnstown softball team back into the elite.
“A lot of times I have to tell myself to slow down and slow my teammates down because they get so excited,” Triplett said. ”We are ready to go, go, go.”
Johnstown led visiting Lakewood 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning Friday when a storm suspended play. The game will resume Wednesday as the Johnnies attempt to add to their Licking County League-Cardinal Division lead.
Johnstown, a 2021 Division III regional champion, again will be a team to watch in May. The Johnnies’ two losses have been 1-0 to Watkins Memorial, the No. 1 team in Division I, and 4-0 to Indian Valley, a perennial Division II power, on Thursday.
“Sometimes the videos will pop up, and I get goose bumps, but for right now we are just trying to win every inning,” Staffan said. ”We are just trying to keep our energy up and stick together.”
Triplett has been on quite a power surge of late, hitting four home runs in a doubleheader sweep of Pickerington Central in April 15 and adding two more in the following victory against Newark Catholic. The Johnnies’ leadoff batter often has been setting the table and clearing it with one mighty swing.
“I am really proud of myself, but it comes from my teammates,” Triplett said. ”I have the best teammates. They hype me up so much. I want to do so well for them. I want to get on base because I trust them so much to get me in.”
Staffan’s rocket up the middle that kept rising gave a jolt to a powerful offense that often has taken its time getting from 0 to 60 mph this season. The Johnnies (11-2, 7-1) have had a knack for wearing down opponents this season, but they jumped on Lakewood junior Dani Stewart from the start.
“As a whole, we are a little slow in the beginning, but we pick it up,” Staffan said. “Once we’re going, we’re going. Our hitting is off the charts this season. It’s amazing.”
Senior ace right-hander Macy Walters often has been unhittable for Johnstown, and Friday was more of the same. She had nine strikeouts without a walk against the Lancers (7-7-1, 3-5), allowing singles to seniors Audrey Thomas and Meredith Parmer and a wind-aided double to senior Abby Colley.
Johnstown senior center fielder Laney Zak blooped a single over the pitcher to lead off the bottom of the fourth. She eventually scored on freshman Katie Blackburn’s groundout.
“Every game is huge from this point forward,” said Johnstown coach Mike Justice, who is back to lead the program this season after serving as the reserve coach in 2021. ”We have four talented seniors, but we are also starting anywhere from three to four freshmen. The experience is growing on a daily basis.”
This weekend’s schedule is a bit of a dry run for the caliber of play Johnstown will encounter during the postseason. Indian Valley’s loss Thursday was at the Wendy’s Classic in Ashland, and the Johnnies were scheduled for two more games in Ashland on Saturday.
The Johnnies will test their young players down the stretch, too, when Heath, Fredericktown, which beat the Johnnies in a district final last season, Licking Heights and Newark Catholic fill the final week of the regular season in early May.
“Games like this in a row gives the younger girls a great opportunity to show what they can do and contribute to the team,” Staffan said.
Juniors Emily Yanczura in right field and Makayla Fain, who is doing all of the catching with freshman Addy Zak out injured, also saw action during the run to the state tournament two years ago. Sophomores Peyton Mischel and Ava Peterman add to the pitching depth behind Walters and Staffan and can contribute in the batting order, and freshman second baseman Aubrey Del Cecato saved a run Friday with a hustle play on a blooper behind first base.
“We have a lot of young talented girls this year, and we need this competition to prepare us for tournament play,” Triplett said. ”We have a good team to go far this year. It’s preparing us to get there.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Four seniors power Johnstown Johnnies softball back among Ohio’s best
