Just the fact that last Wednesday’s home softball game at OHS Field was senior night would have provided plenty of motivation for Hannah Wehar’s Dutchgirl softball team.

However, the fact that their opponent was the 2019 Owensville Softball Tournament champion South Callaway Lady Bulldogs fired up the host Dutchgirls that much more.

Trailing 4-3 moments after seeing a 3-2 lead disappear in the top of the fourth inning, Dutchgirl sophomore pitcher Addison Wright helped her cause and gave OHS’ three softball seniors a night they will never forget.

With one out and Anna Finley at first base following a single, Wright hit the first pitch she saw over the right-field fence for a go-ahead two-run home run giving OHS a 5-4 victory avenging a 5-2 loss that led to South Callaway winning the 2019 Owensville Softball Tournament.

“I wanted to help our seniors win the game so bad,” Wright said. “I just wanted to make contact on that ball but I hit it out and it gave us a win on senior night.”

During the first two innings of last Wednesday’s senior-night showdown, runs were hard to come by for the host Dutchgirls and visiting Lady Bulldogs.

Wright and South Callaway junior Cassidy Crocker both pitched out of first-inning jams.

In the top of the first, Wright worked around a two-out walk keeping South Callaway off the scoreboard.

Owensville made Crocker work in the bottom of the first with senior Caelie Horstmann leading off hitting a single up the middle.

Even with Finley grounding into a double play, Wehar’s Dutchgirls looked for a two-out rally.

Halie Boyer singled to left field before Wright reached on an error bring senior Mackenzie Rademacher to the plate.

A strikeout ended the inning keeping the game scoreless.

Striking out two batters in the top of the second inning, Wright needed just 12 pitches to keep the game scoreless going into the bottom of the second inning.

Kaitlyn Nelson reached on a one-out single in the bottom of the second only to be retired on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Leah Reed. With Reed stranded on the bases, Owensville and South Callaway remained scoreless through two innings of softball.

Four hits off of Wright and a pair of errors led to South Callaway scoring twice and taking a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the third inning.

Owensville’s bats were more than ready with an answer.

Horstmann led things off with a walk before Finley doubled to right-center field setting up Boyer with two on and nobody out.

Boyer reached on a fielder’s choice allowing Horstmann to score and cut the Lady Bulldog lead in half to 2-1 still with no outs.

“Getting us on the board helped us with our confidence,” Horstmann said. “I’m really glad we were able to come from behind and win on senior night.”

Wright tied the game with a RBI single allowing Finley to score before a throwing error enabled Boyer to cross the plate giving Owensville a 3-2 lead after three innings.

Like the previous two half-innings, South Callaway had an answer on offense for OHS in the top of the fourth inning.

Giving up two runs, Wright avoided further damage striking out Lady Bulldog Kelsey Logan to leave the bases loaded only trailing 4-3 moving to the bottom of the fourth inning.

Back-to-back singles from Reed and Paige Loyd brought Horstmann to the plate with a chance to reach base for the third time.

Reaching on a fielder’s choice, Horstmann then saw Finley single on a fly ball that landed between the third baseman and left fielder loading the bases for Boyer.

Grounding out to end the inning, Owensville trailed South Callaway 4-3 after four innings.

Back to work in the pitching circle, Wright retired the side in the top of the fifth keeping the Lady Bulldog lead at just one run.

In the bottom of the fifth, OHS looked for another two-out rally.

Nelson started the rally reaching on an error before Reed and Loyd both walked to load the bases for Horstmann.

Seeing the inning end on a strikeout, the Dutchgirls were still within a run of South Callaway moving to the sixth inning.

Pitching around a two-out single, Wright kept her offense in prime position for a comeback still trailing 4-3 going to the bottom of the sixth inning.

Finley led the inning off with a single bringing Wright to the plate with one on and one out.

Wasting no time at all, the Dutchgirl sophomore hurler clubbed the first pitch she saw over the right-field fence for a go-ahead two-run home run putting OHS back in front 5-4 going to the top of the seventh.

Maneuvering around a one-out single, Wright earned the complete-game victory in Owensville’s 5-4 senior-night victory.

“Our girls worked so hard and I’m proud of everyone of them,” Wehar said. “It was really great to send our seniors off on a winning note after losing to South Callaway the previous time we played them.”

OHS opens district play today (Wednesday) at Borgia against Union at 2 p.m.