Time to Bear down for regionals
Oak Glen keeping its focus on tournament, not perfection
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NEW MANCHESTER -- Finishing any season undefeated will be remembered until the end of time for sports fans.
Even though the 26-0 Oak Glen softball team continues to strive for that achievement, however, it knows it must focus on the ultimate prize of winning a Class AA state championship.
"Our attitudes are better than before. We know we can't let up," outfielder Makayla Zoellers said. "We don't want to slow down the momentum. Now is the time we need to be at the top of our game.
"An undefeated record would be incredible, but not making it to states would be devastating. I would take a loss at regionals if knowing we could capture a state title."
That journey continues Monday on the road for a best-of-3 series with Keyser in the regional tournament, the Golden Bears' first since 2017 under Morgan Bricker. Game 2 will come to Oak Glen on Tuesday. If a third game is necessary, it will be back in Keyser the following day.
"We recognize that it is something that will go down in school history. We want to keep the drive alive. It just hasn't been a strong emphasis," head coach Sherrie Garner said. "In some ways, it has been a good surprise. It's a continuing thing, and we're certainly fortunate to have it. We don't want to break that streak now.
"The girls really have been energized. We've been trying to give them a little bit of a break to get healthy, but the energy has been good. They're just really excited."
The best way to describe the Golden Tornado is it is powerful, slugging 35 team home runs, 67 doubles and 15 triples, along with 391 total runs in 30 games (27-3 record). Junior Alexa Shoemaker is Keyser's top hitter with a .581 batting average, 15 dingers and 58 RBIs.
Sophomore Charity Wolfe is its top arm. In 97 2/3 innings, she has struck out 149 batters and has allowed 48 runs, but only 25 are earned. Shoemaker has tossed 39 1/3 frames with 63 punch outs.
"We have one mutual opponent in East Fairmont. They have some power hitters," Garner said. "They definitely have quickness and speed. It looks as though the bottom of their lineup is strong, and it sounds like they play a good short game. Shoemaker has 15 home runs, and we have about 15 team home runs."
Oak Glen has allowed just four homers overall, two each from Maddie McKay and Lizzie Kell.
What makes the Bears extra special is the depth of their starting lineup. Outside of McKay, Kell and the Browns (Sarah and Sydney) -- their first four batters not in that order -- No. 5 hitter Olivia Munoz and No. 6 Makayla Zoellers have been just as dangerous. There is a reason each are hitting above .350.
Munoz has made her mark during the few times Oak Glen had some close calls. The third baseman perfectly executed a game-tying suicide squeeze in the seventh inning against Weir High last Saturday. She also hit a go-ahead grand slam in extra innings earlier this year at Steubenville.
"She certainly provides a lot of strength in the batting order," Garner said. "She's in a position where she works with girls on base. Coming in the fifth hole is an opportunity to move those girls over. You don't want to leave it on only your power hitters, so she definitely has come through, and on defense, as well."
Munoz is batting .405 thanks to a strong sectional tournament with three homers, 32 runs batted in and 24 runs scored.
"I would say batting behind the Browns, Lizzie and Maddie takes some pressure off of me because I know they are great players, and they can get on base," Munoz said. "I like hitting lower in the lineup anyway because if there are runners on when I'm up, I know what my job is to do. Like my coaches and teammates always tell me, 'Base hits.'"
As for Zoellers, she seemingly has come out of left field -- literally and figuratively. In most other lineups, she easily could make a case for a leadoff or No. 3 spot.
"I would recognize Makayla as our most improved player from two years ago. She has put in the time for batting, and she absolutely sees the ball differently," Garner said. "She has matured and is just a smart kid. Her softball IQ alone allows her to know where to hit the ball.
"She's adaptable to running to the ball hard because she's made some great, timely catches. You don't want runners moving over, and she's done a great job holding them. You don't want the ball touching the green, and she sees it well."
Zoellers is hitting .392 with 22 RBIs and 20 runs. In 16 total chances in left or right field, she has 14 putouts and two assists, along with one double play. Her fielding percentage is perfect through 26 games, as is Avery Hall but in just eight contests.
"When they get on base, it gives me a sense of duty to hit them and help score runs for the team," Zoellers said about hitting sixth. "As far as the pressure, I take it in stride, get confidence from my teammates, rise to the challenge and step up to the plate."
McKay, obviously, will be in the circle as long as possible, and Kell will serve as her backup. After allowing no earned runs in three sectional games, McKay is 18-0 with a 0.33 ERA, a .106 batting average against and 203 strikeouts (13.4 average per game). She is a few games away from her career-high 246 Ks as a freshman in 2019.
It will take a powerful arm to cool down Keyser's power. It also takes a team to reach the state tournament. The Bears have proven time and time again, especially after trailing Weir High 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh last Saturday, that it is never over for them.
"I would say that the win over Weir definitely helped spark that flame to never give up," Munoz said. "It showed that we could come together as a team and pull through for the win.
"We never really bring up the 26-0 record. We always tell each other to take it one game at a time."
Oak Glen opened sectionals by defeating East Fairmont, 7-0, then there was the close 6-4 victory over the Red Riders on a Sydney Brown walk-off home run. It won the Section 1 crown with a 12-0 win over Weir High once again on Tuesday.
"We've talked about the crowd we've had around us with the parents and the community. The support has been outstanding," Garner said. "We've even had some faculty and staff in the crowd. We're honored to have all of this support.
"Building off of that energy is something we've talked about. We want to come back with a sense of energy that can't be changed."
A LOOK AROUND CLASS AA
Oak Glen and Keyser represent Region 1. Lincoln will challenge Herbert Hoover in Region 2, Wyoming East versus Independence in 3 and Sissonville against Scott in 4.