Staff photo / Preston Byers. Chalker’s Tatum Hudak, right, high-fives Wildcats head coach Rich Hudak after her grand slam during Wednesday’s Division VII, Northeast 3 district championship win vs. Lowellville in Alliance.

ALLIANCE — Although the rain held off for most of Wednesday’s Division VII, Northeast 3 district championship game, sixth-seeded Chalker poured runs on No. 12 Lowellville.

Two days after an upset win over third-seeded Badger and Rockets head coach Mike Alfano said his team was playing its best softball of the season, the Wildcats decisively ended Lowellville’s season, hitting three home runs, including a grand slam, in a five-inning, 16-2 rout at Alliance High School.

“It took us a little bit to get started, started a little slow. And then we found our groove. And we did what we needed to do,” Chalker head coach Rich Hudak said. “Just try to hit the ball hard somewhere. Just try to hit the ball. You never know with turf; it plays differently. So that was our game plan: just hit the ball and next batter up. Let’s not try to do too much, and just keep passing the bat.”

Early on, it did not appear as if the Rockets were trending toward a blowout loss. Starting pitcher McKenna Lewis, who shut out the Braves two days earlier, picked up where she left off by retiring the side in order in the bottom of the first inning.

But in the second, the Wildcats gave a preview of what was to come.

Katelyn Cook led off the home half of the inning with a double to shallow left field, and Abby Grimm followed with an RBI single to score Cook and give Chalker a 1-0 lead. Tatum Hudak then hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Grimm.

After Tatum Hudak struck out the side in the top of the third, she became the catalyst for the Wildcats’ scoring outburst in the bottom of the inning.

Coming to the plate with the bases loaded following a Holly Roosa walk, Cook double and Grimm walk, Tatum Hudak perfectly timed a Lewis pitch and took it to center field for a game-changing grand slam.

“I knew I needed to get the team up. I knew I needed to do my part,” Tatum Hudak said.

The play, while invigorating for the Wildcats, proved demoralizing to Lowellville. Although the Rockets managed to score a pair of runs in the next inning, courtesy of a Giuliana Alfano double and a Lewis single, Mike Alfano said he did not think his team mentally recovered from Hudak’s grand slam.

“I think our girls were affected,” Mike Alfano said. “I think once that grand slam went, I could see the demeanor on their faces go. And then it kind of came off the rails there. … It was a big level of adversity for them to deal with.”

To make matters worse, Chalker was far from done scoring either. In the bottom of the fourth, the Wildcats stretched their lead back out to five runs, then six and, eventually, to 14.

Throughout the inning, the Rockets struggled with passed balls and errors; Kylie Fussleman capitalized first on an error at third base before Bailey Ann Bussey scored on another infield miscue. Then, Riley Ashcraft hit a two-run home run to extend her team’s lead to 10-2.

Two batters later and still with no outs in the inning, Grimm crushed a ball into the trees over the left-field fence to bring her and Cook home and go ahead 12-2. Shortly thereafter, Julia Ross and Roosa hit RBI doubles, and Bussey capitalized on another passed ball to score Chalker’s 10th run of the inning and 16th of the game.

“We’re gonna take the ball, maybe opposite field if we need to,” Rich Hudak said. “Just take the pitch where the pitch is thrown to us, and that’s our mindset. And that was kind of the turning point. It was just one hit after another after another, and just keep trying to pile it on.”

Amid light rain, the Wildcats finished the five-inning game not long after, as Cook caught a line drive toward first base and calmly stepped on the bag next to her for a double play.

For Lowellville (8-11), the loss concludes an up-and-down season, which included a four-game losing streak and an 18-0 loss to rival Springfield in the penultimate game of the regular season before two road playoff wins over higher-seeded opponents.

Mike Alfano admitted that not even he believed the Rockets would make it as far as they did.

“I’m pretty sure this is Lowellville’s first trip to a district championship,” Mike Alfano said. “If you would have asked me a week and a half ago, two weeks ago, the beginning of the season, if we had a shot at this, I would have said no. But they pulled it together at the end. And in the very end, our luck kind of ran out.”

“Still very proud of them,” he added. “Towards the end of the season, we started playing, even [against] the best teams we were playing, they played their best. … They surprised me. They did well. I mean, it’s a loss. We’ll wear the loss, but I’m still very proud of them for where we’re at and where we started, that’s for sure.”

Meanwhile, Wednesday’s win earned Chalker its second consecutive district title and third in the last four seasons. It is the first time in a quarter of a century that the Wildcats have repeated as district champions.

“They work hard in the offseason, so when they come out here to do this, it’s not surprising. … Several of them play all year long,” Rich Hudak said. “They’re great kids, they’re great athletes, but most importantly, they love each other and they’re great for each other.”

Chalker will play either No. 1 Newark Catholic or No. 2 Groveport Madison Christian in the regional semifinals May 27 at Dalton. The Green Wave and Eagles play their Central 1 district final at Berne Union High School in Sugar Grove on Friday.

“The further you go along, you’re gonna see great teams. So it’s important that we stay within ourselves,” Rich Hudak said. “I’m not gonna try to do too much. We’re gonna do what we continue to do: play good defense, great pitching and we’re gonna hit the ball and just take the game for what it is and not look past anyone.”