Perrysburg softball team finishes 'indescribable season'

CLYDE, Ohio - Ty Wilson didn’t leave the field with any regrets. Instead, the Perrysburg High School senior reflected upon her final season with the Perrysburg softball team.

“I’m never, ever going to forget this season, because it was the furthest we’ve gotten, my whole high school career,” said Wilson, a left fielder for the Yellow Jackets. “I’m really proud of the way we came out, from the very first pitch.”

Despite a leadoff home run by Perrysburg shortstop Katie Dunphy to open the game, Elyria defeated Perrysburg 6-5 in a Division III regional semifinal Thursday at Joe Wilson Field, ending the Yellow Jackets’ season.

Perrysburg shortstop Katie Dunphy, left, makes a play against Elyria's Mackenzie Phares (12) in the fifth inning during the Division I softball regional semifinal Thursday in Clyde. Elyria defeated Perrysburg 6-5. THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH Enlarge | Buy This Photo

“We didn’t care that [Elyria] was ranked in the state, or that people thought we were going to lose,” Wilson said. “A lot of the pressure was on them. We were the underdogs.”

Elyria will face Notre Dame Academy at noon Saturday at Joe Wilson Field in the Division I regional title game; Perrysburg finished 19-9 and beat Bowling Green, Fremont Ross and Ashland to reach the 2012 regional semifinals against Elyria.

Dunphy, who homered and went 3 for 3 in the loss to Elyria, considered the entire season for her team.

“It’s indescribable,” said Dunphy, a junior. “A lot of people underestimated us. They never thought we’d make it this far, and we’re the only team in the NLL (Northern Lakes League) to make it this far, so this felt really good.”

While the loss was still fresh for the Yellow Jackets, Dunphy saw it as a teachable moment for her team, which will return eight players from this year’s team next season.

“We learned that the little things really matter, as you saw from the sixth inning (in the loss to Elyria),” Dunphy said. “Next year, we’ll learn from those and be more crisp.”

Contact Rachel Lenzi at: rlenzi@theblade.com, 419-724-6510 or on Twitter @RLenziBlade