As I sat there, the mid-afternoon clouds hovering over a sun-baked Peaceful Valley, I watched the Ohio Northern softball team walk off the field for the last time this season. They embraced and supported each other, while Heidelberg celebrated in the infield. It was the first time all weekend that the Bears had no hope left; there was no Kelly Sheridan game-winning hit, no Kirsten Lightel strike-out, no Tessa Topp RBI double that could save them.
It was an awful feeling.
The Lady Bears fell to Heidelberg in the OAC tournament championship game on Sunday afternoon, 9-3. In what will contend as one of the most thrilling conference tournament runs in ONU softball history, the Bears ran out of steam late on Championship Sunday.
Northern sent freshman phenom pitcher Kirsten Lightel to the mound to face Heidelberg’s junior ace Paige Atterholt. Lightel, who had pitched every inning of every tournament game leading up to today’s action, struggled early. The Bears found themselves down 3-0 heading into the fourth inning, when they broke up Atterholt’s no-hitter with a series of hits. The Bears got on the scoreboard when Gia Saturday grounded into a double play, bringing Jenna Hollar home.
The Bears scored again in the top of the fifth, as pinch-hitter Tessa Topp scored pinch-runner Abbey Oswald from third base with a single, cutting the Heidelberg lead to 3-2.
The game changed drastically in the fifth inning, when the Student Princes broke things wide open. Heidelberg began the inning with a series of doubles, and ONU coach Ali Hess pulled Lightel from the game when the score reached 7-2. Two more runs would score with sophomore pitcher Paige Ordean on the mound, and the Bears went into the sixth inning down by seven runs.
Northern rallied in the top of the seventh, when senior Taylor Manahan scored on a throwing error. Yet, in a tournament where the Bears overcame the most daunting forms of adversity, they could not defeat such a monstrous deficit. Heidelberg won, throwing their gloves in the air, and Ohio Northern collected their runner-up trophy.
Heidelberg will advance to the NCAA tournament as OAC regular season and tournament champions. Ohio Northern will likely not receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, as they finished the season with 14 losses.
As heartbreaking as this loss is for the Polar Bears, it follows some moments from this weekend that should not be forgotten.
Where should I begin?
Ohio Northern started the tournament with a 6-3 loss to Capital on Friday morning. The Bears committed five errors and gave up six runs on six hits.
So, let’s put this in perspective.
By noon on Friday, the Polar Bears were in the losers bracket. Because it is a double-elimination tournament, the Bears knew that they had to win three games in a row to reach the championship. They would have to face three of the best teams and pitchers in the conference, all within a matter of hours.
And they were fearless.
Lightel faced John Carroll ace Rachel Byrnes (107 strikeouts), and she dominated. Her no-hitter was broken up in the fifth inning, but she pitched a complete game, allowing just one hit en route to a 3-0 victory. Light-el was lights-out, and the Bears lived to see another day.
Northern earned a rematch with Capital on Saturday morning, where Lightel would battle Brooke Billings (12 wins) in a classic duel. ONU clung to a 1-0 lead until the seventh inning, when multiple Crusader batters reached base and one scored. Lightel got out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the score tied, but the game would end up going into extra innings. Northern and Capital traded runs in the ninth, but Lightel took care of the Crusaders in the top of the tenth to set up a magical finish. Senior Kelly Sheridan hit a walk-off double into right field, which scored catcher Amanda Lahti and ended the game. Bears win, 3-2.
The Bears had just enough time to catch their breath before they faced top-seeded Heidelberg that afternoon. Lightel squared off against another elite pitcher in Paige Atterholt (15 wins) just 30 minutes after she turned in a legendary 10-inning performance against Capital.
ONU started off slow offensively, and they were down 3-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth. Then, all of the sudden, they turned on the jets. Sophomore left fielder Megan Hupp, who was moved from ninth to second in the Bears’ order before the game, started the inning with a double and Northern never looked back. The Lady Bears piled on six runs in the inning, and Lightel shut Heidelberg down in the seventh to give ONU the 6-3 win.
Just like that, the Bears were in the championship game. While driving back to Ada after Saturday’s games, Addison Wolf, with whom I broadcast ONU softball games for WONB, and I were speechless. We could not find a way to describe what had happened at Frann’s Field that day, or the day before, or what could happen the next.
Northern’s journey this weekend was an Odyssean one, dodging monsters left and right while navigating their way to the promise land. Lightel threw 34 innings over the span of 50 hours (and 30 innings in the first 30 hours), and was deservedly named OAC Pitcher of the Year, as well as Rookie of the Year in the conference. She showed the maturity of a senior in her first conference tournament, as she has done all season.
For seniors Kelly Sheridan, Taylor Manahan and Jamie Westenkirchner, this was it. All played fundamental roles in the team’s success this weekend, coming up with clutch hits when they mattered most. Sheridan will go down as one of the greatest to ever wear an ONU uniform, playing in 149 games and missing just four over her four years as a Polar Bear.
For the returners, the future is bright. Northern will return seven of the nine starting position players from today’s championship game, including Lightel and junior catcher Amanda Lahti (who was behind the plate for all 36 innings of action this weekend).
The Polar Bear softball team lost today in the championship game. They fell one win short of an NCAA tournament berth. Lightel finally ran out of gas. Northern couldn’t warm up the bats in time. Heidelberg is really, really good.
But instead of focusing on the negatives, realize that there is so much to gain from this weekend’s tournament in Tiffin. Polar Bear faithful saw a resilient bunch compete like their lives depended on it, and we saw them almost do the impossible.
So, as the Lady Bears walked off the field for the last time, it would have been easy to feel sad, disappointed, or all of the above. But feeling that way would negate the magic that happened leading up to Championship Sunday. Like they have done every other time this season, these Bears will respond to adversity. They will keep their heads high, get back to work, and most likely be back in the title hunt next season.
But first Kirsten Lightel needs to ice her arm, as should Amanda Lahti. It was a long weekend, to say the least.