LEXINGTON TWP. — In its first postseason softball game, Streetsboro scored early and blanked Kenston, earning a shot to play top-seeded Marlington in the second round.

Behind the pitching of junior Sofia Nase and a consistent offense, the Dukes denied any upset dreams by the Rockets and secured a 9-1 win in a Division II sectional championship game on Thursday.

"We had great pitching and were patient and disciplined at the plate," Marlington coach Jessica Collins said. "We adjusted well to their pitcher, who didn't throw as hard as other pitchers we faced."

While Marlington (19-1) solved the off-speed offerings from sophomore right-hander Nicole Roman to amass 10 hits, Streetsboro was went hitless against Nase, a junior right-hander, and struck out 13 times in her six innings of work.

"I was concerned about how we would hit their pitcher," Streetsboro's second-year coach Matt Helm said. "I knew she had good velocity and we might have trouble [timing] her."

Nase, who fanned nine of the first 10 batters and retired the first 13 hitters in order, relied on more than just a fastball to dominate from the circle.

"Her velocity and movement on her fastball has improved, but she also was on with her other pitches," Collins said. "She throws seven different pitches, including a curve, screwball and change-up."

The Dukes are averaging more than 11 runs a game and had scored 10 or more runs in six of their last seven contests. While they didn't reach double figures against the Rockets (5-13), they scored at least one run in each of the first five innings, highlighted by a three-run fifth.

"We've gotten better at scoring runs in more innings," Collins said. "Earlier this year, we relied more on the big inning."

Junior third baseman Emma Jackson led the Dukes with a single, double and home run. Sophomore shortstop Audrey Miller singled, doubled and drove in three runs. Junior center fielder Chyanne Knapp singled twice and scored twice. Freshman left fielder Maria Walder cracked a two-run home run and scored three times. Freshman second baseman Faith Savage doubled, scored twice and made a lunging grab of a line drive with two outs in the seventh inning to end the game.

Savage, one of three freshmen who start for the Dukes, credited Streetsboro for staying composed and forcing a seven-inning game.

"They played together as a team and stayed together as a team," Savage added. "We had to earn [our runs]."

The Rockets could have come unglued in the first inning after dropping a fly ball, committing an outfield throwing error and allowing a pop fly to drop near the circle for a gift infield single, but second baseman Mallory Rice cut down the lead runner from third trying to steal home and Roman escaped allowing only one run.

Roman was later backed by a lunging catch near the line by freshman right fielder Audi Wert and a sliding catch by senior center fielder Isabella Leonardi, showing the kind of defense it displayed when it played errorless ball in the 7-0 win over Kenston.

"Our defense was stellar in that game, and we played our best overall game against Kenston," said Helm, a former high school football player at Massillon during the mid-1990s. "We had to play that type of defense and be lights out on offense against Marlington because they have great power and they can score."

Miller drilled a run-scoring single to center for Marlington's first-inning run, then in the second, Savage lined a double off the left-field fence and trotted home when the left-handed hitter Walder smashed a two-run home run to left-center.

Ava Collins also scored after drawing a walk, advancing to third following two ground-ball outs and scoring on a wild pitch.

Jackson, who made an over-the-shoulder grab of a pop fly behind third base in the top of the fourth inning to preserve Nase's perfect game, also clubbed a two-run home run that curled inside the left-field foul pole in the last of the fourth to make it 6-0.

After Nase retired the first 13 batters, Streetsboro designated player Courtney Evert dropped down a bunt and reached base safely on an error. Undaunted, Nase set down the next five batters, including three on strikeouts.

Marlington added three insurance runs in the fifth, all with two outs. Knapp singled home Savage, who walked. Miller added a two-run double to conclude the scoring.

Collins inserted Ashlyn Maurer to pitch the seventh. Rice ended the no-hit bid with a single to help load the bases. The Rockets scored on a force play at third base before Savage made the lunging grab to extend the Dukes' postseason.

Marlington will travel to Hubbard, the site of three district games. It will meet Chardon Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, which eliminated Alliance 6-1 in another sectional final, Tuesday at 4 p.m.

"We've been a team that's been able to stay focused all season," Collins said. "We need to keep playing with that [mentality]."

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Marlington's Sofia Nase fires six hitless innings to beat Streetsboro