By LYNN GROLL

groll@crescent-news.com

In a crisp one hour and 10 minutes the Bulldogs of Defiance set up a Division II sectional final showdown against archrival Napoleon with a 5-1 triumph over Van Wert on Monday at Defiance High School.

A pair of savvy veterans supplied the power in a four-run sixth inning and rookie right-hander Megan Turner proved to be double-trouble for the Cougars.

Senior first baseman Marissa McDonald and junior center fielder Lindsey Tobias stepped front and center in the Bulldogs' four-run sixth with back-to-back homers in nearly the same spot over the center-field wall.

Before stepping to the plate, McDonald told second-year coach Krista Ordway she'd deliver a base hit and made good on her statement with more than just a base hit.

"The first thing I heard coach tell me was to get a hit and I told her I would," explained McDonald. "I went up there and I don't know how to explain it ... it came in perfectly and I switched bats at the right moment. I think the bat kind of helped me out a little bit too and I just hit the right spot.

"I knew somebody had to step up," added McDonald. "Thank God I was finally the person to step up. I finally got things going so my teammates could come along too."

A pitch after McDonald handed the Bulldogs a 2-1 edge, Tobias made it 3-1 in favor of DHS with a shot of her own over the wall.

"That was a big hit by Marissa," said Tobias. "I figured I'd either not get anything (to hit) or she'd (pitcher) work on me. I took the first one I saw and it happened to be a good swing."

Defiance had just four hits going into the sixth before busting out for four runs on a handful of base knocks.

"They did awesome," remarked Ordway. "We were just waiting because they'd been making contact all day. They weren't finding holes but they just kept plugging away and they came through big time in the sixth."

"We made some mistakes with pitches and they're a good-hitting team," said Van Wert mentor Jeff Bolenbaugh. "The first time around we didn't make those mistakes. They didn't get a chance to crush them, they hit them both well ... no doubt about it."

The four spot that Defiance put on the scoreboard was more than enough for Turner, who mowed through the Van Wert lineup.

She allowed a lone run in the fourth inning and held Van Wert to just four hits in the game and struck out eight. Turner also spelled problems for Van Wert when she had a bat in her hands and paced Defiance with two doubles and a single.

"For a freshman she stepped up big," lauded Ordway. "Pitching, she did a great job and she's a great hitter. We knew she was going to put the ball in play and that's what she did. The outfield was playing in on her and she just drilled it past them."

Defiance will now play Napoleon on Friday at 5 p.m. at Defiance. The Wildcats rallied for a 3-2 win over the Bulldogs earlier this spring in a game played at Napoleon.

"I think we'll be right in the thick of things as long as we hit," remarked Ordway about the matchup with the Lady Wildcats. "We're getting excited for the game and it should be a great game.

"Hitting, getting base hits when we have runners on," ended Ordway about keys to winning on Friday. "As long as we're hitting, and our pitching and defense stays great, I think it should be a great game."

Linescore

Van Wert 000 100 0 - 1 4 0

Defiance 001 004 x - 5 9 1

Records: Defiance 15-9, Van Wert 13-8.

Winning pitcher: Megan Turner (7 innings, 1 run, 4 hits, 8 strikeouts, 0 walks).

Losing pitcher: Morgan Williams (6 innings, 5 runs, 9 hits, 1 strikeouts, 0 walks).

Leading hitters: (Van Wert, 4 hits) - Brittany Bolenbaugh double. (Defiance, 9 hits) - Marissa McDonald home run; Lindsey Tobias single, home run; Aurora Lopez 2 singles; Megan Turner 2 doubles, single.