Record day for Big Red softball

Sena Smith followed through on her swing launching the ball into the outfield for the milestone hit. – Andrew Grimm

STEUBENVILLE — The Big Red softball program has a new hit queen and a new leader in homers.

Steubenville senior Sena Smith’s RBI triple to open the scoring in the bottom of the first inning was career hit No. 141 for the Ohio University commit, a new program record. She passed the mark set by Kameron DiMarzio in 2028.

About three hours and 10 more innings later, hit No. 142 proved to be pretty memorable, too, as her walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th plated her sister to lift Steubenville to a trilling 9-8 victory over John Marshall for a sweep of the day. Big Red defeated Ravenna Southeastern earlier in the day, 9-5.

“She’s a good player and that’s a heck of an accomplishment,” Big Red head coach Gus Dimarzio said. “I told her she can’t stop here, if you’re going to break it, shatter it. My daughter (Kameron) would be happy to know it was Sena to break it because she’s known her a long time.

“That winning hit was a big at bat for her. She had had a situation two innings earlier where she came up with a runner on third and didn’t get her in, so to get put in that position again and change the outcome is great for her.”

Big Red’s Sena Smith holds up the ball in celebration after hitting an RBI triple for her 141st career hit during the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday, which makes her the new program record holder. – Andrew Grimm

Smith had a pair of hits in the first game to tie the mark, but a walk in her last at-at of Game 1 made her and the Big Red faithful anxiously waiting for another couple of hours.

They did get to celebrate one record in the early game, however, as Sadie Edwards’ three-run bomb in the bottom of the fourth inning against the Pirates was the seventh of the season which set a new mark for program. The junior already committed to Akron has plenty of season left for that number to grow.

Her blast moved her past Kameron DiMarzio, Madi Fields and Chridtina Archer, who each were tied with six during their own decorated careers in Crimson and Black.

“If you coach, you want to have longevity, and if you have longevity, you want to see the kids that come up after the kids you started with have success and keep building on the foundation that was set,” coach DiMarzio said. “I told my daughter records are meant to broken.”

The victories improved Steubenville to 15-3 overall. It was their third and fourth straight wins and their 12th win in the last 13 games. They sit second in the OVAC Class 5A standing headed into the final week before the tournament cutoff.

Big Red second baseman Sophia Zorne fields a ground ball against John Marshall on Saturday. – Andrew Grimm

In the opener, Smith doubled and singled and had two RBIs, Edwards, with her blast, plated four runs on the day, Addison Meyer had two hits and Riley Zorne had two hits and an RBI.

Isabella Cadille went all seven innings, striking out three and walking one.

Big Red struck first for a 1-0 lead in the first and used a four-run third to break a 1-1 tie and did not surrender the lead from there.

The second game was close throughout and turned into a marathon.

Big Red took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first, only to see JM storm back to tie it in the top of the third. JM led 4-3 after four, but Big Red scored three runs again in the bottom of the sixth. In the top of the seventh, JM plated two tuns with two outs to extend the game.

Big Red players celebrate after defeating the Monarchs in extra innings on a walk-off single from Sena Smith, center. – Andrew Grimm

Both teams added one run in the eighth inning, and the ninth and tenth went scoreless. Then, the Monarchs took an 8-7 lead in the top of the 11th before the late heroics in the bottom half gave Big Red the victory, having both overcome three separate deficits to get it.

“There was a part of that game where I thought we were in trouble because of our body language and facial expressions, but we dug deep and found a way to get a run,” coach DiMarzio said. “There were a couple moments where things didn’t go our way and you think to yourself ‘maybe it’s not in the cards today,’ but our kids find a way.

“We’re at the part of the year where you know that time of the of the year where it’s all about finding a way to survive and advance is what it’s all about, sp playing in a game like that where it was about survival is a good game to play.

“We’ve shown the ability to fight a few times this year. Our kids are tough and keep fighting to find a way. That’s why you keep playing, hoping we can keep finding ways and keep playing a long time.”

Smith finished with two hits and two RBIs again, while Edwards had two singles and two RBIs, Fairmont State signee Paige Matteson had a triple and two singles, Emily Tuttle contributed a double and two singles and Gina Smith had two base knocks.

Edwards fired the first four innings, while Cadille came on in the fifth and went the final seven innings with five punchouts and no walks for her second win of the day in the circle.

In between, JM knocked off Southeastern _-_.

Big Red has a big showdown with OVAC Class 4A leader Weir High on the road Thursday night.

Game 1

Big Red 9, Southeastern 5

SOUTHEAST: Bragg (LP, 2 2.3IP, 5R, 3ER, 5H, 1K, 1BB), Powell (2IP, 4R, 4ER, 4H, 1K, 3BB), Timko (1 1/3IP, 0R, 0H, 2K, 0BB) and Stephens. Stephens T, 2S, 4RBIs; Lavigna T, S; Muncy T, 3S; Hayes D; Truex S; Petrilla S; Mesaros S.

BIG RED: Cadille (WP, CG, 5R, 4ER, 13H, 3K, 1BB) and Smarrella. Meyer 2S; S. Smith D, S, 2RBIs; Edwards HR, 4RBIs; Matteson RBI; Smarrella S, RBI; R. Zorne 2S, RBI; G. Smith S.

Game 2

Big Red 9, John Marshall 8 (11 innings)

JOHN MARSHALL: Dijkstra (LP, 10 2/3IP, 9R, 8ER, 14H, 5K, 3BB) and Babiczuk. Babiczuk D, 2S, RBI; Inclan S, RBI; Shock S, 2RBIs; White S, 2RBIs; Dijkstra S; E. Finley 2S, RBI; T. Finley 2S, RBI.

BIG RED: Edwards (4IP, 4R, 4ER, 5H, 0K, 2BB), Cadille (WP, 7IP, 4R, 3ER, 6H, 5K, 0BB) and Smarrella. S. Zorne S, RBI; S. Smith T, S, 2RBIs; Edwards 2S, 2RBIs; Matteson T, 2S; Smarrella S, RBI; R. Zorne RBI; Tuttle D, 2S; G. Smith 2S, RBI.

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