By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

CHILLICOTHE — There was a famous baseball poem called “Casey At The Bat” where the hometown Mudville needed a 3-run home run to win only to have Casey strike out.

The Coal Grove Lady Hornets needed a 3-run home run to build the winning number of runs needed to win and they sent Kasey To The Bat.

Kasey Vanderhoof slugged a 3-run homer that led to the Lady Hornets 7-4 win over the South Webster Lady Jeeps in the Division 6 district semifinals on Wednesday.

Vanderhoof’s home run gave Abbie Deeds the win as she pitched a 3-hitter with 15 strikeouts and six walks.

Coal Grove (17-4) will now play Peebles at 6 p.m. on Friday in the district finals at Unioto High School.

Coal Grove took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Deeds walked, moved up on a passed ball and scored on a one-out single by Izzy Kitts.

The score remained that way until Coal Grove put together a 4-run rally in the fourth.

Rylee Black, Mia Haynes and Kendall Taylor all singled for a run to start the inning.

That’s when Vanderhoof stepped into the batters’ box and crushed a 3-run blast to dead center field for what proved to be the winning hit as the lead went to 5-0.

The Lady Jeeps (10-12) came back to score 4 runs in the top of the fifth inning.

Sammi Yates had a leadoff single, Addi Claxon got a one-out walk and Kaylee House belted a two-run triple to right-center field.

Brooklynn Piquet walked and a passed ball scored House and sent Piquet to second where she scored on a two-out double by Kristen Styles.

The Lady Hornets added a run as House scored on a triple and Doctor and a run scored on a house break.

But Coal Grove got two insurance runs in the sixth inning.

Black singled with one out and Haynes doubled her home. Taylor followed with an RBI single.

Taylor was 2-3 with 2 runs batted in, Haynes 2-3 with a double and RBI, and Vanderhoof 1-3 with the 3-run home run to pace Coal Grove.

Jaiden White went 6 innings and took the loss. She gave up 10 hits, 6 earned runs with 6 strikeouts and one walk.

South Webster 000 040 0 = 4 3 0

Coal Grove   100 420 x = 7 10 1

Jaiden White and Kaylee House. Abbie Deeds and Rylee Black. W–Deeds (IP-7.0, H-3, R-4, ER-3, K-15, BB-6). L–White (IP-6.0, H-10, R-7, ER-6, K-6, BB-1). Hitting–South Webster: Kaylee House 1-3 2-RBI 3B, Kristen Styles 1-3 RBI 2B, Sammi Yates 1-3; Coal Grove: Abbie Deeds 1-3, Braelie Hitchcock 1-4, Izzy Kitts 1-3 RBI, Rylee Black 2-3, Mia Haynes 2-3 RBI 2B, Kendall Taylor 2-3 2-RBI, Kasey Vanderhoof 1-3 3-RBI HR.