COLUMBIANA — The tradition-rich Columbiana softball team will be making its second straight trip to the district championship game after winning an 11-8 offensive shootout with the Tuslaw Mustangs in a Div. V district semifinal on Tuesday.

“We’re excited to move on to the district championship,” saidColumbiana head coach Daryl Kurtz whose team played the last two innings in a steady rain. “This is a fantastic win for our program against a team that comes from a historic conference (the PAC) that’s constantly sending teams to the final four and state championships.”

The win sends the fifth-seeded Clippers (21-7) into the district championship game Wednesday at 5 p.m. against third-seeded LaBrae at Wellington Recreational Park. LaBrae advanced with an 8-6 win over 15th-seeded Girard in its district semifinal matchup.

“Back to-back years in the district championship, let’s get one,” said Kurtz.

Columbiana had the eye of the tiger against Tuslaw and answered two different Mustang comeback attempts to keep Tuslaw from ever taking the lead, which was a key.

The Clippers banged out 13 hits in the game, including three monster home runs, including a three-run blast over the center field fence by Maryn Hepler in the second inning, a two-run round-tripper by standout Caitlynn Pleska in the fourth and a towering two-run clout by Addison Brode in the sixth. Pleska’s homer was her 17th of the season.

“It was a little iffy at first but then they brought the faster pitcher in which I feel a little more comfortable with,” said Pleska. “I like a little faster pitching, it’s what I feel more comfortable with because of travel (softball) and playing at the high levels.”

“It was really back-and-forth, they’re a great hitting team,” said Brode of the Mustangs. “But you’ve just got to do what you can do and hope and pray.”

The offensive hit parade for Columbiana included Hepler (two singles, a three-run home run and four RBI), Pleska (two singles and a two-run home run), Brode (a two-run home run), Cameron Perkins (two singles and an RBI) and singles by Kyle Hogan, Alivia Bell, Landry Smith and Anna Yonker.

“Caitlynn was just doing what Caitlynn has just been doing all year,” said the Clippers’ head coach. “But I think the player to highlight today is probably Maryn Hepler. She started off the game with a single and her second at bat was a bomb (home run). That wasn’t a cheapie, I mean that was gone and defensively she made a couple nice plays.”

The Clippers’ offense set the tone early, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning after Hepler singled, Pleska was hit by a pitch and both runners scored on a bloop single by Perkins.

Columbiana tacked on four more runs to take a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning with the big blast coming on Hepler’s three-run home run.

But Tuslaw (15-11) rallied to tie the game at 6-6 in the top of the fourth on a number of infield hits.

However, Columbiana came right back in the bottom of the fourth on a Pleska two-run home run to deep right field to take an 8-6 advantage.

“That’s tough, we blew a six-run lead in a district semifinal game that could have gotten ugly but our girls battled and we got the lead back, we found ourselves in a game and we didn’t back away and it shows our fight and character here as well,” lauded Kurtz.

Tuslaw answered with a two-run fifth to tie things at 8-8, but again Columbiana maintained momentum and got the lead back at 9-8 on an RBI infield single off the bat of Hepler.

The Mustangs had a serious threat to tie things in the top of the sixth but the Mustangs’ baserunner who attempted to tie the game was called for interference with the Clippers catcher, preserving the hosts’ 9-8 advantage.

“Hats off to them (the Mustangs) for not giving up, but we didn’t give up either,” said Kurtz.

Columbiana got two huge insurance runs in the sixth when Pleska singled to center and Brode stepped to the plate and launched a towering two-run home run over the left field fence, giving the Clippers an 11-8 lead.

“I kind of told myself that I was going to crush the ball and it kind of worked out,” said Brode. “That was kind of the goal, I don’t like to say I swung for the fence but I definitely did. “I’m just so proud of everybody, especially because it would have been sad to see the seniors go, because we have built such great connections with them. It’s awesome as a freshman to be able to go to the district final and I’ll take it.”

Pleska, who entered the game in the pitching circle in relief of Brode in the top of the fifth, worked the final three innings to get the win.

“I’m just proud of our girls and hope to see us go far,” said Pleska.

MT:0-0-0-6-2-0-0 –8-11-3

CO:2-4-0-2-1-2-X –11-13-2

CO –Caitlynn Pleska, wp (3 IP, 1K, 1 BB) and Cameron Perkins.

TU– Isabelle McCune, lp (3 IP, 1K, 2 BB) and Hadley Porter.