AKRON — The Wheelersburg High School softball squad fell to the Sherwood Fairview Apaches on Saturday in the Division III state semifinals by a count of 10-8.
Both teams entered the contest at 26-1, as Wheelersburg was making its fourth all-time state softball tournament appearance, including as the 2016 state champion and the 2017 runner-up.
It is the first-ever semifinal appearance for the Apaches, which took the lead for good in the second inning on a grand-slam home run by Anna Ankney to make it 5-4.
Fairview pitcher Paige Ricica held the Pirates to only seven hits, including only four following the second inning.
One of those was a Sydney Skiver solo home run, which made it the 10-8 final score.
Boo Sturgill smashed a two-run home run in the second stanza to put the Pirates up 4-1, but the Apaches amassed six straight runs to lead 7-4 —before Wheelersburg tied at at 7-7.
The Apaches then scored the next three runs over the fifth and sixth innings to lead 10-7.
Only four of Wheelersburg’s eight runs were earned, as Fairview overcame five errors with 15 hits.
A complete report will appear online later this weekend at www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com and in Tuesday’s print edition of The Portsmouth Daily Times.
