THE PLAINS, Ohio — With Thursday’s 5-3 win over Athens in the Division III district tournament, Marietta softball is back on the map in Southeast Ohio.

“We put everybody on notice in our district,” said MHS head coach Jon Pollard.

Abby Miller went the distance in the pitcher’s circle and was 2 for 4 with three runs-batted-in at the plate to lead the way for the Tigers.

Marietta advanced to the district semifinals and will take on either Sheridan or Washington Court House at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Logan. After starting the season 2-5, the Tigers have won 15 of their last 21 games and are in the district semis for the first time since 2016.

“We’re not the same team we were eight weeks ago,” Pollard said. “Our team has grown mentally, physically — we don’t quit when things start going bad. Hats off to these girls for working hard.”

Marietta struck first in the top of the third inning.

Kylie Constable and Samantha Mayo hit back-to-back two-out singles to get things started. Miller came up with a clutch base knock to left field to plate both runners and put MHS up 2-0.

The Tigers played add-on in the fifth. Keely Hanson got things started with a one-out single. After Hanson stole second base, she came around to score when Mayo’s flyball to right field was dropped, making it 3-0.

As has been the case all season, stolen bases were a major factor for the Tigers in the win. Miller and Hanson stole three bases each while Mayo, who is ninth in the state with 38 steals, had a pair of swipes.

“When they get on, they know we’re going to steal second, and if the opportunity comes, we’re going to steal third, too,” Pollard said. “Then, you’ve just got to put the ball in place some place and we’re going to score. We have a lot of speed. Our success rate in stolen bases is 91% as a team this season.”

The Bulldogs, who finished the season 13-11, rallied to tie the game. They got a pair of runs back in the bottom of the fifth on back-to-back sacrifice bunts to cut it to 3-2. Then in the sixth, Fern Sigman led off with a double and later came in to score when Adyson Williams’ ground ball was booted, knotting the score at 3-all.

Having watched their three-run lead disappear, the Tigers kept their composure and punched back in the top of the seventh.

“They stayed in the game when they came back and tied it,” Pollard said. “I could see in their eyes they weren’t going to lose this one.”

Hanson led off with an infield single. She stole second, but remained there as the next two batters were retired. However, Miller came up clutch once again and singled Hanson in for what proved to be the game-winning run. Miller wasn’t done, though, as she stole second and third base before coming in to score an insurance run on Chloe Harris’s single.

Miller, three outs away from victory, plunked the first batter of the seventh before striking out the next two. After a walk put the tying run on base, Miller got Sigman to pop out to Mayo at second base to end the game.

Miller finished with seven punchouts, one walk, four hits and three runs (one earned) allowed in the victory.

“Abby pitched one heck of a game,” Pollard said of his freshman right-hander. “She’s been a rockstar for us. I can’t say enough about that kid.”

Sigman (no walks, five strikeouts, five runs, four earned, eight hits) took the loss for Athens.

Mayo, Miller and Hanson had two hits apiece for Marietta, which improved to 17-11 on the year.

“We’re not done yet,” Pollard said.

“If we play mistake-free softball, put the ball in play and control what we can control, we can beat anybody.”

Division III District Tournament

A 000 021 0 — 3 4 2

WP: Abby Miller 7 IP, 1 BB, 7 SO, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 H

LP: F. Sigman 7 IP, 0 BB, 5 SO, 5 R, 4 ER, 8 H

Marietta (17-11) hitting: Samantha Mayo 2-4, R, 2 SBs; Miller 2-4, 3 RBIs, R, 3 SBs; Chloe Harris 1-4, RBI; Keely Hanson 2-3, 2 Rs, 3 SBs; Kylie Constable 1-3, R, SB

Athens (13-11) hitting: F. Sigman 1-4, 2B, R; S. Jones 1-3, R; A. Haybron 1-2, R; E. Beck-Aden 1-3

Next game: Marietta vs. Sheridan/Washington Court House winner, 6 p.m. Wednesday at Logan (District Semifinal)