CLERMONT — When you can laugh about a bunt double in the dugout, you know things are going your way. That was exactly the scene for the East Ridge girls softball team during Thursday night's dominant 9-0 victory over West Orange in the Class 7A, Region 3 quarterfinals.
The Knights are known for their powerful bats, averaging an impressive 11 runs per game this season. But on this playoff night, it was a perfectly placed dribbler that turned the tide. After senior second baseman Veronica Peterson and senior catcher Leila Bolden led off the third inning with back-to-back singles, senior pitcher Simmone Hymiller stepped to the plate. Rather than launching a towering home run, she laid down a bunt that caught the West Orange infield off guard, rolling into the outfield grass as Peterson and Bolden raced home. Hymiller cruised into second base with a double, sparking laughter and momentum in the East Ridge dugout.
Sophomore shortstop Molly O'Hara — granddaughter of legendary football coach Bud O'Hara — followed with an RBI double of her own. She later scored on a sacrifice groundout by Kaitlyn Halley, pushing the Knights to a 3-0 lead. From there, the rout was on.
East Ridge's lineup is a force from top to bottom, and Thursday was no different. The Knights pounded out 10 hits, backing Hymiller's stellar performance in the circle. Hymiller, now 16-2 on the season, shut out West Orange for the second straight week, having also blanked them 12-0 in the district championship. She scattered just three hits while showcasing excellent command, mixing spinners and fastballs to keep hitters off balance. She struck out four batters, including three in a dominant second inning.
"Believe it or not, she didn't really have her best stuff tonight," East Ridge coach Al Miller said of Hymiller. "She relied more on spin than velocity, which worked perfectly."
With the win, East Ridge (25-2) advances in the regional playoffs, proving once again that when the bats are hot — even in unconventional ways — this team is tough to beat.