Rockets hope to win NBC, make playoff run

Press Sports Editor
sports@presspublications.com

Redemption.
After blowing a five-run lead and losing, 9-8, in eight innings to Defiance Tinora in a Division III district semifinal last season, Oak Harbor is on a mission to redeem itself and make a run in the postseason.
So far, things are looking pretty good for the Rockets, who are 16-2 and 8-1 in their first season in the Northern Buckeye Conference –– good for first place.
Led by the senior trio of Alyse Sorg, Porter Gregory and Reese Adkins, Oak Harbor is poised to win the league and is the No. 2 seed in the Div. III Springfield District. (The Rockets will face either No. 8 Northwood or No. 9 Evergreen in a sectional final on Friday at home at 5 PM.)
Yes, this group is extremely talented, but what could separate them from other great teams is their chemistry. “I really give hats off to the girls; they play for each other,” said Oak Harbor coach Cami Haas. “The culture, it’s never about one person or another. We live by the mentality that no one is better than anyone else, and they show it each game. There’s a strong character that this team has. They play unselfishly and for one another.”
Gregory echoed those sentiments.
“We have a good group of girls, and we all get along and play well together,” she said. “Everyone has their own role every game, and everyone’s role is important to our success.”
The Rockets are known for their hitting, but they wouldn’t be where they are if not for Sorg, who is 15-2 with a 2.70 ERA. In 98.2 innings of work, she has allowed 93 hits and struck out 71 batters.
“Alyse has had a great year; she’s pitched some great games for us,” said Haas. “She knows that she has an offense that is going to pick her up.”
Sorg is the leadoff hitter, followed by Adkins, the shortstop, and Gregory, the first baseman. Right fielder Ava Geyer hits fourth, followed by 3B Karder Haas, CF Tatum Baumgartner, C Allie Giezie, LF Morgan LaLonde and 2B Myley Sandwisch. (Kaitlyn Meloche and Amelia Tooman have seen some action as well.)
Gregory is hitting .545 and recently set the program record for career RBIs. She’s hit two home runs and driven in 24 runs. As for Adkins, she’s hitting .493 to go with one home run and 28 RBIs, good for first on the team.
Geyer is hitting .474 with 21 RBIs, followed by Sorg (.435, 20 RBIs), LaLonde (.447, 7 RBIs), Giezie (.386, 16 RBIs), Haas (.288, 22 RBIs) and Baumgartner (.286, 17 RBIs).
“The balanced effort, freshmen through senior, one through nine — it allows them to play comfortably. They really carry over the offense like last year,” Cami Haas said of her top three hitters. “It’s not always about the home run or extra-base hits. We can string a lot of singles together. Porter, Reese and Alyse are fantastic leaders as well, and that really sets the tone for a lot of the success we’ve had.”
Gregory talked about what she’s had to invest to reach this point.
“No matter what I’m doing, I’m always playing softball. The extra live at-bats in the fall, winter and summer are extremely helpful,” she said. “Sometimes it’s easy to get lazy, but I try to keep in mind that I can always be better. Ultimately, my approach at the plate is way different this year than in past years. I’ve always been worried about breaking a record or trying to hit home runs. This year has mostly been more about (my) confidence and keeping it simple. For example, when I didn’t have any records on my mind, I broke two of them.”
The lone blemish in conference play was a 2-1 loss to Otsego, and the other defeat came against Boardman, a Div. I school located just outside of Youngstown.
Oak Harbor is ranked eighth in Div. III and has some impressive wins over Genoa, Eastwood and Maumee.
“We always keep things constructive. We said, ‘What can we learn from that loss in the district semifinals last year?’ We talk about finishing, finish the warm up, the play, the inning, the game,” said Haas. “If we finish every little detail, we’ll be OK. We didn’t do that against Tinora. It’s very constructive moving into the postseason, and we’re looking forward to it.”
All of the seniors are expected to compete in sports at the collegiate level.
Sorg hopes to swim at Bowling Green State University, Gregory will play softball at Walsh University in North Canton, and Adkins is set to play softball at Cuyahoga Community College in Highland Hills, which is located just outside of Cleveland.