District softball: Ryann Allar drives in Katie Rubino for Medina game-winner against GlenOak

MEDINA — The Medina softball team has been able to count on seniors Katie Rubino and Ryann Allar to come through all spring. The duo delivered again Monday night with the season on the line. Rubino doubled down the left-field line to lead off the eighth inning and Allar drove her in to lead the sixth-seeded Bees to a 5-4 walk-off victory over ninth-seeded GlenOak in a Division I, Northeast 2 District semifinal. "I just wanted to come through for my team with this being the seniors' last game on the home field," Allar said after ripping a single into left field to score Rubino from third base. "I just knew any way, shape or form to get the ball in play would do something. It was my mindset to get bat on ball." With the win, the Bees (19-6) advanced to face second-seeded Massillon Jackson in the district final at Massillon on Wednesday. The Polar Bears (21-4) defeated Stow 10-0 in the other semifinal. Rubino's hit was the first for Medina since a four-run first inning, as Savanna Eckard faced one batter over the minimum in her first six innings of relief. Rubino went 2-for-4 with a single and two runs but struck out in her previous two at-bats against Eckard. "If I'm being honest, it was very fuzzy," Rubino said of her at-bat. "I didn't hear anything else around me, and I was very in the zone. I felt like I was in a pool of water. I told myself, 'You're in this spot. You have to get this done. This is your time.' "I love that I got to be in that spot." Once Rubino got on, she knew she could count on Bailey McCoy to bunt her over to third and that Allar would drive her in. "I could not trust Bailey or Ryann more than anyone on this team," Rubino said. "They are just amazing, and I had the utmost confidence they would get it done." Allar's hit spoiled an outstanding outing for Eckard, who took the loss after giving up one run on two hits and a walk to go with 12 strikeouts. She also hit sacrifice flies in the fifth and seventh innings to drive in GlenOak's final two runs. "(Eckard) had a little bit of speed," Allar said. "We were a little late on our swings. We made the adjustment later in the game, and it worked out in the end. She's nothing that we haven't seen, and we'll probably see it again on Wednesday. We need to know how to adapt and change our swing to get ahead of the ball." Medina freshman Brooke Housum battled runners on base all night but masterfully walked the tightrope to earn her 17th win, allowing four runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out five. While the Bees took a while to get going against Eckard, they absolutely jumped all over GlenOak (14-8) starter Emma Hamilton in the first. Rubino and McCoy led off with singles and, one batter later, Kelsey Swinko drove in both with a hit up the middle. Later in the inning, Swinko and Hannah Neal, who singled, were driven in by an Olivia Hendrickson single. That four-run cushion proved critical. "It was very important get off really quickly," Swinko said. "After that first inning, I feel like we kind of died down just a little bit, but by the end we brought our energy back, and I think that's what got us through tonight." Swinko was the only Bee to reach base from the second through the seventh inning. She was hit by Eckard in the third and walked in the sixth. The Golden Eagles got on the board in the fourth when No. 9 hitter Kendall Krum walked ahead of a triple by leadoff hitter Hannah Ecksmith (3 hits, RBI). GlenOak scored two more the next inning of a single by Olivia Renicker and a double by Lexie Groves before Eckard's first sacrifice fly. Contact John Urchek at jurchek@medina-gazette.com. Medina 5, Canton GlenOak 4 (8 inn.) Division I, Northeast 2 District Semifinal GLENOAK 000 120 10 — 4 9 1 MEDINA 400 000 01 — 5 7 1 One out when winning run scored. WP — Brooke Housum (17-5) 8 innings, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts. LP — Savanna Eckard 6 1/3 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, walk, 12 strikeouts. GlenOak (14-8) — Hannah Ecksmith 2 singles, triple, RBI; Eleni Miller double, run; Olivia Renicker 2 singles, run; Lexie Graves double, run, RBI; Eckard 2 RBIs. Medina (19-6) — Katie Rubino single, double, 2 runs; Ryann Allar game-winning RBI single; Kelsey Swinko single, 2 RBIs; Olivia Hendrickson single, 2 RBIs.