Payback win: Chillicothe softball avenges early loss to Unioto to advance in postseason

CHILLICOTHE — The Lady Cavaliers are moving on in the Division III district tournament after defeating crosstown rival Unioto, 11-1, on May 15 at Lady Cavalier Softball Field.

They will now face No. 2 seed Thornville Sheridan, 12-1 winners against Athens in their tourney opener, at 5 p.m. May 19 at Logan High School.

Here is how they got it done against Unioto.

Rittinger dominates

Sophomore pitcher C.J. Rittinger struck out 13 batters and gave up only three hits and no earned runs.

"I try to think about nothing," Rittinger said. "I try to clear my head. My parents always tell me to sing a song so I don't get all in my head because when I do, I am throwing slow and inconsistent. So, I try staying out of my head and try to stay energetic. If I am low in the count, I know I have to dial in."

It also helps that in those times she is not dialed in that she has her defense behind her.

"Knowing that these girls support me in everything I do is a great feeling to have as a pitcher," Rittinger said. "I feel bad for pitchers that don't have that same feeling."

Her catcher, Isabella Canter, is also a steadying force for her. Rittinger said that extends off the field as the two are great friends, and she trusts Canter to call her out when needed.

Revenge game

Earlier this spring, Unioto handed Chillicothe its first loss of the season on April 10 in a 1-0 game.

Head coach Andrea Morgan said it was a matter of timing. In that instance, the timing was off.

"We didn't play our best," Morgan said. "They were the better team that game. It was important to us to make sure that we came out today to be the better team. They are a good team, but we needed to be the better team today."

Danika Simpson said coming into the game, she didn't want to let her guard down because she felt like that is what happened to the team in that early-season loss.

"We were in our heads, and we felt like we needed to beat them," Simpson said. "This time, we were much more chill and we knew what we were capable of."

Morgan admitted it has been a challenge for the team as their schedule lately has not included many games. Against Willow Wood Symmes Valley on May 9, they managed only five hits and couldn't get the runners across to score.

Against Unioto, they found hits up and down the lineup.

"Every single person in the lineup contributed. That is what makes my heart full, when we win together as a team, offensively and defensively," Morgan said.

Simpson said it is a great feeling when they know they are all coming together to win.

"I am super proud of all of these girls," she said.

Errors contribute to loss

While Unioto couldn't get their offense going against Rittinger's pitching, they did themselves no favors with their defensive play.

They committed five errors, which led to nine unearned runs. It was uncharacteristic of the team that will finish near the top of the Scioto Valley Conference this season.

While they had errors in their first matchup against Chillicothe, it didn't hurt them then. This time, Kendall Walker pitched only three innings before being pulled for Mackenzie Paugh. Even so, Walker gave up only one earned run despite her team was down 6-1 at the time.

What's next?

Morgan is preparing her team to face Sheridan, which is her alma mater. In fact, Generals coach Mark Paxton was her former coach. They defeated Athens 12-1 to advance.

Sheridan is known for its RMA — or Right Mental Attitude — which has been embraced by many of its teams.

For Chillicothe softball, their philosophy is Ubuntu, which is the idea that I am because we are.

"We are because of each other," Morgan said. "And that is what I need the girls to know. That is what I need them to learn for their lives, not just for the game."

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Dominate pitching, offensive output contribute to Chillicothe's win