Regional Softball Preview: Cardington fueled by last year's disappointment
CARDINGTON — After three straight regional championships, Cardington's softball team was denied a fourth last year.
That was hard enough. However, losing via run-rule in the regional final 11-1 was the toughest for the Pirates to stomach.
Following Friday night's sixth straight Division III district championship victory at Pickerington Central, beating Knox Morrow Athletic Conference rival Centerburg 5-1, Cardington coach Tod Brininger knew the topic of the postgame debrief that was to follow the celebratory photos, interviews and good wishes from family and friends.
"It’s something that is hard to get over because that was a slap in the face, and like you said, it doesn’t happen to us very often," Brininger said of last year's loss to eventual state champion Sherwood Fairview. "It was something that we’ll talk about again and remind them that it happened the last time we were out there."
It's really an old topic for the Pirates.
"We’ve been talking about it all year," he added. "I’m going to tell them tonight to think about that game because that desire has to be there. It will be."
The 10-run loss and the way the regional finale played out with All-Ohio shortstop Anna Ankney hitting two home runs with a grand slam and ending with seven RBI will not be forgotten by the girls who were on the field for it. The Apaches scored seven runs with two outs in the fifth inning to break open the title game, sending 12 batters to the plate in the frame. Meanwhile, the Pirates mustered just six hits in the contest.
"It definitely fueled me. It really lit a fire under me," senior outfielder Dana Bertke said.
The Pirates took a spring break trip to Florida to start the 2022 season in order for the large freshman class to bond with the upperclassmen. Cardington attacked the KMAC schedule, going undefeated en route to a ninth straight league championship. They upped the non-league portion of the schedule to face some of the top big school programs in the Central District.
It was all in response to last year's disappointing finish.
"With the rest of the team, we knew this was our year," Bertke said. "This was going to be it. We’re going to be seniors, so it’s time to go this year. That really lit a fire under us and kept us working, so I’m excited."
The regional semifinal games at Elida were moved up to today due to an expected bad weather forecast for Wednesday. The Pirates, ranked No. 2 in Ohio's Division III coaches poll, will face Tinora at 6:30 p.m. Tinora upset third-ranked Otsego 2-1 in 10 innings in its district championship game.
In today's 4 p.m. semifinal will be Van Buran and No. 7 Margaretta. The regional championship will return to Elida Friday at 5 p.m.
According to senior outfielder Mac Linkous, the Pirates need to adjust their mindset from the one they had a year ago at the regional.
"I think we came in a little timid," Linkous said. "I think we came in thinking we’ve made the state how long? We took a one-year break (for the coronavirus shutdown). We came in thinking, ‘Oh, we’ll win this. We saw them play yesterday and they really weren’t that great.’ So we came in the with wrong mindset. We definitely came in thinking we were going to win the whole entire thing.
"I think last year we didn’t take each individual game as seriously as we needed to. We learned that lesson."
Bertke said it's important for the Pirates to not let one bad play or one bad at-bat turn into two or three in a row.
"Stay confident in ourselves and be positive and never let the other team have any leeway. Stop them early and play our game and we should be good," she said of their upcoming regional approach.
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Marion Star Best of the Week Performer Poll Winners
In the final Marion Star Best of the Week Performer Polls of the season, River Valley produced a sweep. In the boys poll, RV baseball's Hayden Kanagy earned 447 of 953 votes (47 percent) to win it after he put up two home runs and two doubles with a walk-off home run in a win over Cardington. In the girls poll, RV softball's Shelby Westler got 401 of 556 votes (72 percent) to win it after she hit a grand slam and another home run along with a double and two singles in a win over Pleasant.
Other boys nominees were baseball players Zach Pinkerton of Highland, Joe Denney of Cardington, Maxton Lower of Northmor, Nathan Newell of Pleasant and the Harding tennis tandem of Brady Wink and Mateusz Lisiecki.
Other girls nominees were softball players Abigail Bridges of Ridgedale, Laine Sparks of North Union, Riley Burchett of Cardington and Audrey Robinson of Highland.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Regional Softball Preview: Pirates fueled by 2021 disappointment
