FRANKLIN — Mackenzie Gibbons put the Fenwick High School softball team in a position to do something it hadn’t done since 2016.
That’s win a postseason game.
Gibbons pitched a one-hitter and had 11 strikeouts, and the host Falcons brought out the bats in a 10-0 five-inning, Division II tournament victory over Monroe on Tuesday.
“I feel like I started off pretty nervous — like I do usually every game,” said Gibbons, a sophomore who leads the Greater Catholic League Coed with a 1.58 earned run average. “Once I knew my teammates had my back, I knew I was able to just throw it right in there.
“This is a reassurance game. We knew we could do this,” Gibbons added. “Today, we were mentally ready.”
Fenwick beat Northridge 12-2 exactly seven years ago — May 9, 2016 — which stood to be the Falcons’ last tournament win until Tuesday.
“It’s been a while since we’ve done this,” Fenwick senior catcher Nicole Koetter, who went 2 for 3 with three runs scored and an RBI. “We were amped up and excited for this game.”
Fenwick (10-8) plays host to Alter (2-17) on Thursday. The Falcons won both GCL Coed meetings against the Knights during the regular season — each by double digits.
“We are a relatively inexperienced group, but we bring a lot of energy and a lot of excitement,” Fenwick coach George Moore said. “They’re a fun group to be around, and when we play like this, it makes it even better.”
The Falcons scattered three runs in the first and second innings, which gave Gibbons (6-5) some comfort inside the circle.
Gibbons retired the first 11 Monroe batters before Megan O’Neill laced a single to right field with two outs in the top of the fourth — the only Hornets hit.
“The biggest thing that shocked me was that we didn’t hit today,” Monroe coach Tim Kellis said. “We’ve been hitting steady all year. I was really disappointed with our plate discipline. We came in thinking we’d have to score 10 runs, which is what we’ve done. But (Gibbons) was moving the ball today.”
Sophomore Hadley Von Bargen was 2 for 2 with three RBIs and two runs for the Falcons, who brought two across the plate in the fourth and two more on the fifth to close it out.
Von Bargen roped one down the third base line to score Koetter and Kati Levo for the game-clincher.
Monroe (5-14) graduates seniors Paige Frazier, Charleigh McNeil, Sarah Peebles, Delanie Reenan and O’Neill.
BADIN 15, INDIAN HILL 0, 5 INN.
HAMILTON — Halle Klaiber pitched a two-hitter and struck out 10 batters, and Badin scored five runs in the first inning and 10 in the second on its way to a Division II postseason victory at Joyce Park on Tuesday.
Sydney Couch went 4 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs, while Klaiber went 3 for 4 to pace the Rams (15-10). Erin Beeber and Miley Zorb had two hits apiece for Badin, which hosts Clinton Massie on Thursday.
CEDARVILLE 12, NEW MIAMI 2, 5 INN.
CEDARVILLE — New Miami saw its season come to an end in a Division IV postseason loss at Cedarville on Tuesday.
Cedarville beat New Miami in a doubleheader sweep during the regular season.
New Miami (5-14) graduates seniors Lexi Ball and Madison Carey.
