Vinton County upset helps Wellston claim share of TVC-Ohio title

Vinton County’s 5-4 win over Meigs on Friday did more than shake up the scoreboard in McArthur. It altered the Tri-Valley Conference, Ohio Division softball race and helped Wellston turn what looked like a second-place finish into a share of the championship.

Wellston was on the outside looking in after Meigs had taken sole possession of first place with a 4-3 win over the Lady Rockets in late April. But the Lady Vikings’ upset of Meigs snapped a 13-game winning streak and reopened the door. Wellston stepped through it Monday with a 5-0 road win over Athens, locking up a share of the 2026 TVC-Ohio title and changing the final standings in the process.

The Lady Rockets finished 18-7 overall and 10-2 in conference play, and the Monday victory gave the program its 16th TVC softball championship and 45th overall TVC title since the 1982-83 school year. It was also Wellston’s third straight TVC-Ohio softball crown and its sixth in the last seven seasons, excluding 2020 because of COVID-19.

The win also added a coaching milestone for Morgan Stevens, who became only the second coach in school history to win league or conference championships in both boys’ and girls’ sports. Stevens joined Brian Lintala in that category, while the program’s broader championship history also sits alongside the legacy of the late Jim Derrow, who won titles in two boys sports.

On the field against Athens, Wellston got a balanced effort. Ella Hutchinson, Abrielle Weese, Kennedi Stevens, Maddie Childers, Reece Karr, Lyla Pittenger and Chenede Cardwell all contributed to the lineup, and Pittenger handled the pitching duties in the 5-0 shutout.

The sequence put Vinton County in a clear spoiler role and gave the Lady Vikings’ win real league-wide consequences. Meigs had been in position for an outright title before the loss, and Wellston’s response in Athens completed the swing from a near miss to a shared crown. The Lady Rockets now shift into OHSAA Division V district tournament play against River Valley at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Nancy Kibler Field, carrying a championship into the postseason.