Streetsboro cruises to 15-0 D4 Sectional win over Trinity behind 11 K’s from Williams

STREETSBORO, OH- The #13 seed Streetsboro Rockets hosted an OHSAA State Softball Tournament opening round Division IV Sectional vs #27 seed Trinity on Thursday. After an up and down regular season, the Rockets were looking to start off the postseason on a high note. They rolled to a 15-0 win over the Trojans.

Payton Williams took the mound for the Rockets and began with a 1-2-3 first inning striking out a pair.

Payton Williams strikes out a Trinity batter in the 1st

Olivia Knepper drew a walk to begin the bottom half for the Rockets. She would steal second base and advance to third on a passed ball before Ashley Denvir brought her home on a bloop single to right.

Ashley Denvir bloops a single to right scoring a run in the 1st

They would pick up five more runs after a succession of walks and wild pitches/passed balls before Knepper lined a single to center scoring a pair to round out the scoring in the first.

Olivia Knepper lines a 2-run single to centerfield in the 1st

The Rockets took an 8-0 lead after one.

Williams would post a dominant second inning as she struck out the side to keep it an 8-0 lead heading to the bottom of the second.

Payton Williams with one of her 3 strikeouts in the 2nd

Ella Simpson opened the bottom of the second with a single. Five consecutive walks would follow scoring three before Williams hit a sacrifice fly scoring the fourth run of the inning as Streetsboro took a 12-0 lead after two.

It was another dominant inning in the top of the third for Williams as she again struck out the side to make it 6 straight and 8 for the game.

Payton Williams with one of her 3 K’s in the 3rd

The Rockets would go scoreless in the third still leading 12-0 after three.

Williams kept would get a ground ball out, fly ball out and her 9th strikeout in the fourth inning keeping it a 12-0 game.

Streetsboro would tack on three more in the bottom of the fourth. Amy Rein led off with a double. Mallorie Gierke would drive her home on a double to deep left for run number 13.

Mallorie Gierke rips an RBI double to deep left in the 4th

Aaliyauh Woody and Knepper would round out the scoring with RBI singles to push the Rockets lead to 15-0 after four.

Payton Williams carried a perfect game into the fifth having retired 12 straight through the first four innings. She would record her 10 strikeout for out number one. A ground ball out left her one out away from perfection. She went up two strikes on Sienna Wilkes before the Trojans pitcher ripped a single to left breaking up the perfect game and no-hitter. Williams would come back with a strikeout to end the game and clinch the 15-0 postseason win.

Olivia Knepper led the way offensively with 2 hits and 3 RBI. Mallorie Gierke & Payton Williams each had a pair of RBI. Williams was dominant on the mound allowing only the 1 hit in 5 innings while striking out 11. She threw 50 strikes out of 63 total pitches.

The Rockets now advance to play at #9 seed Norton. The game was moved to Monday (5/18) to accommodate Streetsboro graduation on 5/19.