Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
A historic run by the Oak Harbor softball team almost didn't happen.
The Rockets had to rally from a four-run deficit in the final two innings to defeat Galion, 5-4, in a Division V district semifinal, which opened the floodgates to a run that saw Oak Harbor advance to the state final four for the second consecutive season and third time in four years.
The Rockets were held scoreless through five until scoring twice in the sixth and adding three in the seventh, walking-it-off when Hannah Schimmoeller drove home Karder Haas and Morgan Lalonde with a double. It capped a string of four consecutive hits to open the inning.
"Being down four runs in the sixth in that game lit the fire we knew this team had in them," Oak Harbor coach Cami Haas said. "It finally clicked with this particular group that they knew they were capable of a deep run. It really (motivated them)."
Oak Harbor went on to defeat Ashland Crestview, 4-1, in the district final before taking down Elmwood, 7-3, in a regional semifinal. A 6-5 win over Milford Center Fairbanks in the regional final was next before the Rockets saw their season end in a 15-2 loss to Wheelersburg in the state semifinals.
The Pirates, who went 28-0 and didn’t allow more than three runs in a game this season, defeated Baltimore Liberty Union, 10-0, to win the state title.
In the regional final, Oak Harbor led Fairbanks 6-4 entering the top of the seventh. The visitors hit a solo home run with one out to trim the deficit in half and then produced a two-out single to bring the go-ahead run to the plate.
In that at bat, another single was corralled by centerfielder Tatum Baumgartner, who delivered a strike to third baseman, Haylee Robinson, for the regional-title clinching putout.
Just moments earlier, Oak Harbor trailed 4-3 entering the bottom of the sixth, but senior catcher Allie Giezie delivered her only extra-base hit of the season, a two-run double to center that scored Baumgartner and Robinson, who reached on a double and a walk to lead off the inning.
Addison Laubacher added a bunt RBI single to score Giezie for what turned out to be the winning run.
"We played a complete game in the regional championship," Haas said. "On both sides of the ball, everyone showed up to compete, and you need every single one of them in a high-stakes game like that to get through it. Everyone matters."
It was a special achievement for Giezie, a four-year starter at catcher who has been there for some of the program's biggest moments.
"Allie has been in plenty of big situations in her four years to prepare for that moment," Haas said. "I am confident with anyone in the lineup to produce, and she was able to do so with easily her biggest hit of the season."
Throughout the run, Oak Harbor got stellar pitching from Lalonde, a sophomore who was in her first year in the circle.
Haas, who is in her third season after taking over for Chris Rawski, has helped continue to make Oak Harbor one of northwest Ohio’s best programs, and the Rockets don’t appear to be losing ground anytime in the future.
But the team will have to replace Giezie, Schimmoeller and first baseman Ava Geyer due to graduation.
"The girls have continued to (build on) a culture in place at Oak Harbor,” Haas said. “A majority were there consistently during the offseason getting reps. They respect what each of them brings on the field, and they own their roles.
“They know how to finish a game, and while it perhaps took a few learning opportunities to finish the season as we did, they knew what they were capable of and pushed through, and I am incredibly proud of them for that."
A sign of just how far the Rockets, who finished 24-7, came can be seen by their wins over Otsego and Eastwood, respectively.
On April 9, the Knights defeated Oak Harbor, 14-0, and nine days later, the Eagles beat the Rockets, 6-0. Oak Harbor recovered, beating Eastwood, 4-3, in eight innings on May 5 and defeated Otsego, 9-8, 12 days later.
"When we lost to (those teams), it lit a fire underneath us to come back and beat them the second time to prove ourselves," Schimmoeller said.
Schimmoeller, who will continue her career at Hiram College, leaves the program tied for the program record in career home runs with 16, including nine this season.
"I put extra time in the weight room and many hours of extra batting practice each week to get as much power in my swing as I could," she said. "I also spent a lot of time working with Trent Logan at the RedShed."
Her career numbers are impressive considering she missed her junior season because of a shoulder injury.
"It was extremely tough mentally to not play the game I've been playing my entire life,” she said.
The RedShed Baseball & Softball facility is located in Fremont.
Two years ago, in Haas' first season, the Rockets blew a 5-0 lead in the fifth inning to Defiance Tinora in an eight-inning loss in the district semifinal.
Since then, the Rockets have been on a mission.
"That blunder solidified a standard I don't foresee withering anytime soon," Haas said. "Our (current) seniors were freshmen that year. It's simply about knowing what it takes to compete in a high-stakes game."
