Softball: Subpar season doesn’t sit well with Grove City Greyhounds

Frank DiRenna, ThisWeek
·3 min read
Sophomore outfielder Gracie Smith scored a team-high 32 runs for Grove City. She also batted .341, drove in 30 runs and was honorable mention all-league as the Greyhounds went 13-15.
Sophomore outfielder Gracie Smith scored a team-high 32 runs for Grove City. She also batted .341, drove in 30 runs and was honorable mention all-league as the Greyhounds went 13-15.

Grove City softball coach Ted Williams focused on one statistic when reflecting on his team’s 13-15 season: the Greyhounds’ 0-7 record in one-run games.

“We have some things that we need to work on,” Williams said. “With runners in scoring position, we didn’t hit very well and that would make a difference in a number of games. We were 0-7 in one-run games and a number of those games we were leading going into the seventh. We also need to tighten up our defense a little bit.”

Grove City went 5-5 in the OCC-Ohio Division to finish third behind champion Gahanna (10-0).

A year ago, Grove City finished 27-2 overall and 10-0 in the OCC-Ohio to capture its first league title since 2014.

“At 13-15, a lot of teams in the area would be happy to be that,” Williams said. “We’re not and I’m not.”

The Greyhounds had just one senior in pitcher Gabby Adams, but she will be a key loss after closing a two-year career at Grove City by going 11-13 with a 3.31 ERA, 105 strikeouts and 22 walks in 131 1/3 innings.

She also batted .474 with six home runs, 27 RBI and 10 runs and was first-team all-league and second-team all-district.

“It was an up-and-down season,” said Adams, who will play at Rio Grande. “We fought really hard the entire season. I really enjoyed playing with the girls and all my coaches that I will truly miss. We learned a lot throughout the season. I hope I was able to leave the remaining girls something to build on for next season.”

Last season, Adams was named OCC-Ohio Player of the Year and ThisWeek’s softball Athlete of the Year in addition to being first-team all-district and second-team all-state after going 25-2 with a 2.38 ERA.

“It was great having Gabby here for her three years,” Williams said. “I hated the fact that we lost the (2020) year for COVID, but there’s nothing for her to be ashamed of. She had a great season last year. I’m real proud that she has an opportunity to go on and play at the next level.”

Junior Maya Rice (OF) batted .380 with 24 RBI and 21 runs and was first-team all-league and honorable mention all-district.

Junior Braxton Williams (3B/1B), the coach’s daughter, had 25 RBI and 10 runs and was second-team all-league. Junior Addy Sigman (3B/SS) batted .333 with 31 runs and 14 RBI and was special mention all-league, and sophomore Gracie Smith (OF) batted .341 with a team-high 32 runs and 30 RBI and was honorable mention all-league.

fdirenna@thisweeknews.com

@ThisWeekFrank

GROVE CITY SOFTBALL 

•Record: 13-15 overall 

•OCC-Ohio standings: Gahanna (10-0), Westerville Central (8-2), Grove City (5-5), New Albany (4-6), Pickerington North (3-7), Westland (0-10) 

•Senior lost: Gabby Adams 

•Key returnees: Maya Rice, Addy Sigman, Gracie Smith and Braxton Williams 

•Postseason: Def. Briggs 24-0 (5 innings); lost to Licking Heights 3-2 in second round of Division I district tournament 

This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Softball: Subpar season doesn’t sit well with Grove City