WAPAKONETA — Minster’s entire lineup bashed the ball all over the ballpark.
In the midst of the hitting spree, the Wildcats turned the game over to Sinclair-bound pitcher Jenna Poeppelman.
Minster rolled past New Bremen 11-1 in six innings to win the Division IV girls softball district championship Thursday at Wapakoneta.
Minster knocked out 14 hits, including having everyone in the batting order get a hit.
That was more than enough for the senior Poeppelman, who tossed a one-hitter through six innings when the game was halted for the 10-run rule.
“We hadn’t been there (to the regionals in softball) in our four years so it’s great,” Poeppelman said.
Poeppelman mixed in four pitches, fastball, riseball, breaking ball and change-up, and pounded the strike zone with most of them.
“She has a variety of pitches and it seemed like every one was on today,” Minster coach Robb Hemmelgarn said. “We know if every one of them is on it’s going to be a good day. Everything was in the zone and she was hitting her spots.’’
Poeppelman struck out nine and walked two. The one run she yielded was earned.
She threw 81 pitches, 53 for strikes.
Minster led 2-0 after two innings and 7-1 after three.
The Wildcats finished the game off with a four-run sixth to make it 11-1.
Minster (26-1), the Midwest Athletic Conference champion, heads to the regional to face the Triad/Felicity-Franklin winner at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Greenville Softball Association Complex.
“We’re very confident right now,” Hemmelgarn said. “Not because of our record or where we are at this point in the season, but we’ve preached confidence since back in February. … It’s all about confidence and right now we have it, but we know there are tests coming up.’’
It marks Minster’s first softball trip to the regionals since 2014. That was the year the Wildcats made their only softball appearance at the state tournament, finishing as state runner-up.
“As kids we looked up to the 2014 team that went to state,” Poeppelman said. “We felt maybe we could fill their shoes some time.’’
Poeppelman struck out the first five batters she faced.
“I think my curveball was working really well,” she said. “It had so much movement on it. … I worked hard in the offseason and I learned a new pitch, too. I learned a screwball.’’
New Bremen ends its year 19-8.
“Minster’s a good team and they have a lot of good seniors who are advancing on with their career and playing softball,” New Bremen coach Ellie Puthoff said. “They all move up in the box and they attack the ball before it drops and before it curves outside. I wish them all the best.’’
For Minster, Danielle Barhorst went 2 for 3. Poeppelman had a double and an RBI. Lindsey Albers was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Emily Stubbs went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI. Laney Hemmelgarn was 2 for 4 with an RBI.
In the second, Poeppelman walked and Kaitylyn Wolf singled. Stubbs’ sacrifice fly to center made it 1-0. Hemmelgarn added an RBI single to center and it was 2-0.
New Bremen got its only hit and run in the third.
Taylor Paul led off the Cardinals’ second with a walk. A groundout took her to second and she went to third on a passed ball. Marissa Topp launched an RBI double to the left-center field fence to bring New Bremen within 2-1 in the third.
But Poeppelman would allow just one baserunner, on a walk, the rest of the way.
In the home third, Poeppelman had an RBI double to left and the Minster lead went to 3-1. She later scored on a wild pitch from third and it was 4-1.
Stubbs’ RBI double to left gave the Wildcats a 5-1 lead. Mara Schmiesing added an RBI single to right and it was 6-1. Barhorst followed with an RBI single to center and it was 7-1 in the third.
Molly Smith started for New Bremen and pitched all but 1/3 of an inning, when her twin sister Erin Smith came on in the third inning.
But after four batters, including two singles and a double, Molly Smith returned to the mound and finished the game.
Molly Smith went 5 2/3 innings and gave up eight runs, four earned, on 11 hits.
