Camryn Eckhart shows experience not necessary as Holland Springfield defeats Watkins Memorial 4-2 in OHSAA Division 1 softball state semifinal

AKRON, Ohio – Holland Springfield trailed 1-0 heading into the fourth inning of its OHSAA Division I state semifinal on Thursday evening when Camryn Eckhart stepped to the plate with a runner on first base and nobody out.

In just her second career at-bat in the state tournament, the freshman showed the poise of a veteran as she awaited pitches from Watkins Memorial pitcher Carsyn Cassidy. On the second pitch she saw, Eckhart launched a home run over the left field fence, helping lead the Blue Devils to a 4-2 win and a spot in the state championship game on Saturday.

“We were down 1-0 at the time and I had to do something,” Eckhart said. “We always talk about the now, so I feel like me being up there looking for a base hit I just knew I had to do something.”

As for what she saw on the pitch, it was all about location.

“It was an inside pitch and inside pitches are the pitch I am looking for,” Eckhart said. “I was angry at that point, and I knew I had to do something. I full swung and there it went and there was no doubt.”

The freshman wasn’t done making her impact felt.

With two runners on base and one out in the fifth inning, Eckhart again found herself facing Cassidy with a chance to drive in runs. After the runners moved up to second and third, Eckhart laid down a perfect bunt to score Audrey Miller. Eckhart then scored on a single by PJ Miller.

“It’s a battle between me and the pitcher all of the time,” Eckhart said. “I knew I had to win that battle.”

Meanwhile, junior pitcher Mady Yackee was busy keeping the dangerous Watkins Memorial lineup in check. After the Warriors cut the lead to 4-2 with nobody out in the sixth inning on an RBI single by Jordyn Wycuff, she settled in and retired the next three batters to get out of the inning.

“That was the heart of their line-up,” Yackee said. “I knew once we got through them that the next three we would be able to get. That Jordyn, she is really good. She went down and got that ball and hats off to her. After that I just knew we had to get three outs and not let anyone else score.”

Her coach agreed with the assessment of his pitcher. After the single by Wycuff, Rob Gwozdz went to the mound. His message to his pitcher was simple.

“Hey, that was a great hit that girl had,” Gwozdz told Yackee.

With that, he was back to the dugout and his pitcher was back to getting outs.

As for Eckhart, she might be a freshman by grade but she isn’t seen as one by the coaching staff.

“When they get to me, we call them softball players. We don’t call them freshmen,” Gwozdz said. “These kids come off a major summer grind. They play over 100 games against the greatest competition in the country. By the time they get to us, they know how to play the game.”

But even so, the freshman felt the jitters of the biggest stage of her career as she played at Firestone Stadium.

“I was definitely nervous, no doubt,” Eckhart said. “I knew just getting up there, ‘just let it all go, just be you.’”

And let it go is what she did. Right over the fence.