photo by: Andrew Grimm

Photo by Andrew Grimm The Harrison Central Huskies, pictured after winning the Division IV, East 2 District championship game Thursday, the first district championship in program history. 

STRASBURG — Having reached the district championship multiple times before and come up just short, veteran Harrison Central head coach Darrin Young said he had a feeling this time would be different.

Call it coach’s intuition, because the Huskies skipper was right — this time was different.

The Huskies scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning and got a masterpiece in the circle from senior pitcher Mikayla Pelegreen to edge out a 1-0 victory over West Holmes in the Division IV, East 2 District championship game, the first district championship in program history.

“It’s very, very rewarding,” Young said. “We’ve been waiting for this for a long time at Harrison Central. I just had a feeling this time would be different. About two weeks ago this team hit its stride and I just saw the look in their eyes.

“It feels pretty good to finally break through. I told the girls I’ve been on the losing end of these games a couple times, we’ve been close and just not been able to do it. But, I just knew this year was different. These girls have enough confidence and have learned how to win.”

Pelegreen struck out 10 batters and held the Knights to just three hits, twice stranding a runner on third base, including in the seventh, finishing a complete game gem.

In the Huskies (19-10) two district tournament wins, Pelegreen struck out a combined 24 batters. Her defense played errorless ball behind her, too.

“I can’t say enough about Mikayla Pelegreen, she has put this team on her back and threw 14 great innings for us,” Young said.

The Huskies had chances, several of them, leaving runners in scoring position in the first, second and fourth innings but were unable to crack West Holmes starter Briar Cline (nine strikeouts, one walk) — until Bailey Smith came up clutch in the sixth.

Smith, after Lillian Thomas had doubled with one out, came up with two away and sent her third hit of the game into the center field grass for a two-out, RBI single and it proved to be just enough to send the Huskies to regionals.

“It’s not just one person, it’s been one-through nine in our line up,” Young said. “Lillian Thomas has been spectacular for us the last two games and Bailey Smith came up clutch. It could not have happened for a better kid, she’s one of the hardest working kids on the team.

“We just fight, fight, fight until we find a way to win and what a way to win our first district championship.”

Harrison Central will play in the Region 13 tournament next week at Duncan Falls Philo. The regional contests are Wednesday and Friday. The Huskies will face the Central 1 District winner between Licking Valley and Bishop Ready, who play today in the semis on Wednesday.

“I told this team (after they beat Oak Glen a couple weeks ago) all they need to do is believe,” Young said. “If they believe they can win, they can play with anybody and they have proved it.

“We have a couple more big ones to go get.”