DUNCAN FALLS − While sophomore standout Kendall Snider continues to dominate from the circle, it was an “all hands on deck” mentality−paired with a lethal 12-hit offensive attack that propelled the John Glenn Muskies into the Elite 8 on Thursday, May 28.
John Glenn (26-5) dismantled Gallia Academy 10-0 in six innings during a Division IV regional semifinal matchup at the Philo High Athletic Complex, advancing to Saturday’s regional championship game.
The ultimate security blanket
Serving as the ultimate security blanket for the Muskies all spring, Snider was practically untouchable yet again. The sophomore ace collected her third consecutive shutout in OHSAA postseason play, limiting the Blue Devils (12-11) to just two hits over six innings, while striking out 14 and walking a pair.
The dominant performance keeps Snider in the realm of video-game numbers. She improved her sparkling record to 18-3 on the season, lowering her microscopic ERA to 0.61 while pushing her whopping strikeout total to 325 in 149 innings pitched.
“Just a real team win again, just like we have all year,” John Glenn head coach Kyle Porter said. “Kendall is out there doing her thing from the circle, putting up just impressive numbers…then our starters do what they need to defensively to support Kendall. Then its all hands on deck offensively, as we get contributions from the entire roster.”
Offensive avalanche triggers rout
The Muskies held a tight 2-0 lead after two innings before completely putting the game away with a seven-run third inning explosion. John Glenn’s bats came alive in a major way, relentlessly stringing together hits to turn the regional semifinal into a runaway.
Libby Brown set the table with three singles with an RBI, while Cora Dever plated a pair of runs with two singles. Estelle Matheney ripped a triple, single that drove in a run, and Addi Babcock tripled. Kenli Porter added a double to the Muskies’ 12 hit attack, with Josilyn Stashonsky stroked a double and single.
For Snider, the massive offensive cushion allowed her to challenge hitters with even more confidence as she cruised through the final innings.
“It feels good, we’re going to the Elite 8 and that’s a big deal,” Snider said with a big smile after the game. “We played a solid game today. My defense had my back like always, out there making plays. Offensively we were able to string hits together today…especially in that huge seven run third inning and gave us a big cushion.”
John Glenn will look to carry that momentum into Saturday, May 30 at noon, when they will meet Licking Valley, a 14-0 winner over Harrison Central in the other semifinal matchup, for the Division IV regional championship back at the Philo High School Athletic Complex.
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This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Muskies’ Snider fires third straight postseason shutout in D-IV regional rout