Lady Knights roll past Lincolnview

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

Crestview scored seven runs in the second inning and seven more in the seventh in a 14-3 Northwest Conference softball win over rival Lincolnview on Tuesday.

Avery McCoy doubled in Caitlin O’Hagan and Olivia Cunningham for a 2-1 lead, then McCoy score on a pop up by Breena Grace. Codi Miller hit a two RBI double that plated Kali Small and Lexi Gregory, then Crestview (18-4, 7-1 NWC) increased the lead to 6-1 when Hannah Binnion singled home Miller. O’Hagan doubled in Binnion to end the scoring for the inning.

The score remained 7-1 until the seventh, when the Lady Knights belted three run scoring doubles. Grace belted in Cunningham, Bailey Gregory knocked in Grace and Kali Small, who earned the win on the mound, drove in Gregory. A Lincolnview error allowed Small and Lexi Gregory to score, then Binnion and O’Hagan scored on another error.

Bailey Gregory and O’Hagan each had three hits for Crestview, and Miller, McCoy and Grace each drove in two runs.

“Everybody is contributing and as a coach you can’t be happier when that happens,” Crestview head coach Carl Etzler said. “I’m very pleased with our approach to the game right now.”

Lincolnview (11-6, 3-3 NWC) enjoyed a 1-0 first inning lead when Lakin Brant scored on an error. The Lady Lancers tacked on two more runs in the seventh, when Destiny Coil and Morgan Miller crossed home plate.

“I think Lincolnview is an outstanding team and I think they’re well coached,” Etzler said. “They have some great athletes and when you’re going to play them you know they’re going to bring their game and we had to bring ours, and I was really pleased that we were able to do that tonight.”

Brant, Coil and Miller each had two hits for Lincolnview, and Winter Boroff drove in a pair of runs. The Lady Lancers suffered five errors, and while saying it wasn’t an excuse, head coach Brad Doidge acknowledged a two week weather layoff affected his team.

“Not seeing live pitching and being in situations where you have to make a play, you get a little rusty,” Doidge explained. “Crestview’s played three games while we had 14 days off.”

“Our defense was a little shaky today, so we’ll try to button that up and hopefully see Crestview along the tournament trail,” Doidge added.

Lincolnview is scheduled to host Columbus Grove in the Division IV sectional championship game on Thursday, while Crestview will host Miller City for a sectional title the same day.