Oak Harbor likes what it sees in batter's box, rarely holds back

If you always attack as a hitter, you can find yourself behind in the count.

Oak Harbor's softball batters don't seem to suffer frequent pitchers' counts. Strikeout numbers are low.

They don't miss their pitch. They don't have to wait because they're educated.

Therefore, the Rockets never stopped the ambush.

"We can't tell ourselves we can't, otherwise we won't," Oak Harbor sophomore Porter Gregory said. "It's a confidence thing. When we go up saying we can, we do. Go out there and do what we do. Stay loose, hit the ball hard and making outs [on defense]."

Chris Rawski instructs his players to live by three words: play your game. Pitching coach Andy Szypka provides a scouting report of opposing pitchers.

"We know what pitches to hit and what pitches not to hit," Gregory said. "We know what pitchers will throw at what time. We're prepared. It's work in the offseason. We start winter work sooner than anybody, hitting and in the weight room in November."

Gregory's approach comes from Trent Logan at Red Shed. He calls it 'green light hitting.'

"Yes, yes, yes, until you know it's a ball," she said. "It's not a guess. Yes, yes, yes, until I know it's my pitch. We're all different. The only similarity is we're all very aggressive. We do what we do and we know what to do.

"We go up with confidence and we know what will come across the plate."

Oak Harbor (24-9) scored 294 runs and batted .377 as a team. They had just 101 strikeouts in 922 at-bats.

Gregory batted .413, with 45 hits, 38 runs and 29 RBIs. She hit five home runs, including one against Wauseon in the district final.

She struck out nine times in 109 at-bats, in line with team numbers. She batted in the middle of the lineup from the start.

Her experience was important.

"I can't be a head case," she said. "If I want to be successful, I have to believe in myself. We have a rule after an out or an error. I have 30 seconds at my bag and the bad event is gone. The thing about Remi [Gregory], you don't want to mess with [her].

"She hides her emotions and she's a princess when it comes to her. Me, no matter the situation, I'm a wreck on full emotions."

Shortstop Reese Adkins and center fielder Alyse Sorg are also sophomores.

"We all started 10U with Coach Rawski," Porter Gregory said. "We've played together since we were 8."

Adkins shifted to shortstop because of an injury as a freshman and Sorg was in the varsity mix. Adkins batted .390, with 24 runs and 19 RBIs.

She impressed with her glove work on tags at second base and her bunt coverage.

Sorg tied a single-season program record with 19 walks and scored 29 runs. She stole a home run with a catch against Margaretta.

She didn't pitch much as a sophomore but endeared herself to teammates with her willingness after taking more than one line drive off her lower body.

"Her bat would come through at the right time," Gregory said of Sorg. "Reese might be little, but she can hit the ball hard right down the third-base line. She plays great defense. She and I had some good plays together.

"She's a goofy girl, if we need a laugh we've got Reese right there."

Gregory has a love/hate relationship with her older sister.

"Remi's sophomore year was canceled," Gregory said. "Her last year to play on her own, she didn't have. We tried to prepare that year. We played on the same summer travel team. We're sisters, we feud a little and we don't always get along.

"That got us closer than we were."

You don't always notice from the outside.

"You would never guess, but Remi is my best friend," Gregory said. "I can count on her for anything and I can tell her anything. The day the regional final was canceled, we got in a fight. She picked on me. We're going to have a grass match.

"We argue and bicker. She sent me a text this morning. 'Want to come eat breakfast, I'm at work?' It's that kind of thing, nobody sees."

Remi bothers her younger sister at times. By design.

"We're alike, but very different," Gregory said. "Some things Remi does irritate me, and she knows it. So she does it on purpose. The good thing, when it's over we're the best of friends. You'd never know we hated each other, even though we didn't."

The girls' desire to play together might be debated.

"She'll never admit it, but I'm pretty sure she did," Gregory said. "The first day my freshman year, Remi put her bag right on mine. You put your bag on the bench the first day and they stay there the rest of the season.

"She needed me. Every game and every practice, we were right next to each other on the bench."

They love to offer constructive criticism. At least the second part, when it comes to one another.

Sometimes, they're the one who can help the other emerge from a funk.

"We have a better connection than anyone," Gregory said. "We're there for each other. Remi will be the first one to say something about my error, and I'm the first to say something about her's."

Rawski paired the girls in the same hotel room when Remi was a junior.

"Coach Rawski learned his lesson," Gregory said. "We got through it. We argued a little. There were threats to run foul poles. After [Florida], we were good. It's special with us at the corners. I'd get the ball when it was hit to her.

"We went out with a bang together."

Oak Harbor earned a regional crown.

"As a team and as a program, we'd never been there before," Gregory said. "It was a great experience for all of us. The friendships and memories I have with every girl on the team."

Winning a district final was the preseason goal. It helped relieve pressure for two more wins.

"We had to stay loose and we had to have fun," Gregory said. "When we play nervous, we don't play very well."

It's often the other way around for travel ball, including for Rawski. Remi plays first base and Porter plays third.

Remi was more enthusiastic about the shift for varsity.

"It happened so fast," Porter Gregory said. "I was put at first base against Huron. It was the first time ever at that position. It just stuck. My mom says, 'My girls work the corners.' We're working hard on our corner and we'll do anything for an out or to make a play."

There's more activity at first base.

"I want every ball," Porter Gregory said. "I want to make every play. I had fun with it and I knew I could do it. I got the feel for it and I was more a defensive player, hustling to the ball and diving."

The Rockets never stop attacking.

mhorn@gannett.com

419-307-4892

Twitter: @MatthewHornNH

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Adkins, Sorg, Porter Gregory have two years experience as sophomores