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Grimes, Eggens lead Mathews past Cuyahoga Heights
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Mathews’ Jacki Rhine (21) hugs teammate Jessica Marsico after Marsico scored the game-winning run in their Division IV regional softball semifinal against Cuyahoga Heights on Wednesday at Kent State University. The Mustangs downed the Redskins, 1-0.
By Joe Catullo Jr.
KENT
Deadlocked in a pitchers’ duel at Kent State, freshman Meredith Grimes dug in the batter’s box with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning and the winning run on second base.
Cuyahoga Heights starter Meridith Chopka threw a fastball inside and hit Grimes’ hand, or so everybody thought. The home-plate umpire said the ball hit the end of the bat.
Mathews coach Jim Nicula said after the game the ball hit her hand, but was happy the umpire disagreed. Later in the at-bat, Grimes hit a soft single to left field to drive in Jessica Marsico and the Mustangs won, 1-0, in a Division IV regional semifinal matchup.
“I just felt great,” Grimes said. “Fireworks just went off in my head. I just saw it right in front of me and knew I had to take a try at it. It was right there in the zone.”
Marsico led off the bottom of the seventh inning with the only walk Chopka allowed. Maddi Grimes sacrificed Marsico to second base and then Meredith Grimes got her hit.
“We told them to be patient [and] take a strike, at least one,” Nicula said. “We were confident that we would make something happen. Any time you can get a runner on base, it’s huge with less than two outs because anything can happen.”
Grimes’ walk-off gave starter Cheyenne Eggens the victory. Eggens pitched a three-hit shutout and struck out 16. Every batter for the Redskins (28-3) struck out at least once.
“We were not patient at the plate,” Cuyahoga Heights coach Christy Zawadzki said. “We made it easy for her many times, a couple of three-pitch sequences and we’re done. You live and learn, I guess, from your mistakes.”
Eggens showed her low curveball early in counts and got the Redskins with her riseball.
“Today it was just really working for me,” Eggens said. “Sometimes I have trouble with it, but I just have to focus on every mechanic and every pitch so I know I can throw it where I want it, when I want it and be able to deliver when I have to.”
On the other side, Chopka was just as effective. She also went the distance and allowed one run on two hits and a walk and struck out 11. Chopka was perfect through five innings before Hollie Shreves hit a lead-off single in the sixth.
“She was in a groove,” Nicula said. “Our kids were getting a little frustrated, but one of my seniors came up with that hit. Hollie Shreves’ heart is as big as the moon. She got that hit, and I think it did wear on them a little bit.”
The Mustangs (23-7) advance to Saturday’s Division IV regional final back at Kent State. Eggens is expected to start. Mathews will meet the winner of today’s regional semifinal between Jackson-Milton and North Robinson Colonel Crawford.
“Nobody quit at any point of this game,” Zawadzki said. “It was just a great game. It’s the way you want a regional semifinal to be. Unfortunately, it didn’t come out the way we wanted it to, but good luck to them.”