All is grand for OHS

Hitting home runs is not Jamie Voigts’ forte.

The Ottawa High School senior catcher is known as more of a clutch hitter.

She played both roles, however, when she stepped to the plate with the bases loaded for the second time against Paola Tuesday in the fifth inning of a scoreless game in Ottawa.

The senior, who grounded out to end the threat in the third inning, waited for her pitch. The Cyclone saw the ball and turned on it. The bat met the ball and it sailed to center field. The Paola outfielder turned and began to run after it.

It kept going and going and disappeared over the fence for a grand slam home run to spark Ottawa to a 4-0 victory over the Panthers.

Voigts let out a scream and little dance as she reached first base after seeing it was a home run.

The Ottawa senior said the pitch was right where she wanted it.

“It felt perfect,” Voigts said about the home run and everything about senior night. “I am very excited.”

Ottawa swept Paola with a 5-3 win in the opener. The wins gave Ottawa the Frontier League title, the top seed in next week’s regional at Paola and a program-best 19-1 regular season.

Paola and Ottawa came into the doubleheader with identical 17-1 marks.

“This was huge,” Voigts said. “We had to stay focused on our game. I am really proud of how we stuck together when it counted the most.”

Ottawa coach Renee Malburg said the Cyclones put their destiny in their own hands.

“They stepped on the field ready to go,” Malburg said. “We did a pretty good job of executing when we needed to sacrifice.”

The fifth-inning rally began with pitcher Anna Mages hitting a single. Jori Graf’s bunt was just out in front of the plate and she beat it out for a single. Alyssa Miller then singled to load the bases for Voigts.

This was just her second home run of her softball career and first in a high school game.

“That was a heck of a shot,” Malburg said. “It won the game for us. Consistently she gets two hits a game.”

Malburg said Voigts has played with a sore shoulder most of the season.

“She guts it out. She is an exciting, unbelievable kid,” Malburg said.

Mages made the runs stand up. The sophomore finished with nine strikeouts and gave up just three hits.

In the opener, Hailie Ray kept Paola at bay with big pitches in critical situations.

“They have been amazing,” Voigts said of the pitchers. They keep improving every time. They have played so strong.”

Ottawa scored two runs in the third and three in the fifth inning to forge a 5-0 lead in the opening game.

In the third inning, freshman Mikela Scott hit the first of her three doubles on the night. Kaylee Yates and Mages followed with singles, the last scoring Scott.

Graf sacrificed the runners up to second and third in front of Alyssa Miller’s RBI single.

In the fifth, Ottawa had four hits. Graf and Voigts singled in front of Shelby Miller’s two-run double. Ray plated Miller with a single.

Ray pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning after Paola had plated two runs.

Ottawa will play 4:30 p.m. Monday in the first round of a 4A regional at Paola against Burlington (5-15). The semifinals and finals will be played Tuesday at Wallace Park.

JV splits

The Ottawa junior varsity finished its season with a split.

Ottawa won the opener, 5-3, and fell 10-0 in the nightcap.

Ottawa finished 14-3 and won the OHS Invitational title.

Ottawa won the opener behind key two-out hits, solid defense, a consistent pitching effort Hallie Bones, who finished at 13-2 with a save and one varsity victory this spring.

Ottawa coach Corey Katzer said he appreciates how the players worked together this season.

Greg Mast can be reached at sports@ottawaherald.com.