SOFTBALL Jurkovic finds perfection

With help from her defense, the Lakeview pitcher shut down Liberty.
CORTLAND -- Jessica Jurkovic pitched a perfect game Wednesday as the Lakeview High softball team blanked Liberty 6-0 in a Trumbull Athletic Conference game.
"Jurkovic started out the first inning with two strikeouts and she remained focused throughout seven innings," Lakeview coach Michelle Rentsch said.
Jurkovic, who didn't give up a walk, struck out 15 batters.
"She worked the corners well and moved the ball around a lot," Rentsch said.
"The defense was good behind her," the coach added. "Amanda McEown, our rightfielder, made an excellent play in the fifth inning."
In the last inning after Jurkovic struck out two, shortstop Lana Antonelli charged in on a pop up and made a diving catch to end the game.
The Bulldogs got all the runs they needed in the bottom of the first inning.
With one away, Carissa Prince singled and stole second. Then, with two down, Carissa Pringle doubled home Prince.
Pringle advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a double by Antonelli.
Pringle paced the Bulldogs with two doubles. McEown added two singles, scored once and stole two bases.
Poland 9, Struthers 0: POLAND -- Sarah Knill (5-0) scattered two hits and struck out six in going the distance to pick up the win over Struthers (5-2, 1-1 Metro Athletic Conference).
Heidi Kimmel led the Bulldogs (6-1, 3-0) with a double and single and she drove in two runs. Katie Naumoff, Joi Toppi and Knill each had two hits.
Mooney 3, Ursuline 2: YOUNGSTOWN -- Sara Wright doubled home the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead Cardinal Mooney at Volney Rogers Field.
Wright had two doubles on the day for the Cardinals. She drove in Kristin Laskowski, who singled to open the inning, and was sacrificed to second by Stephanie Fabian to set up Wright's winning hit.
Melissa Larosa hurled the win for the Cardinals (5-1, 2-1 Steel Valley Conference) and she struck out seven while allowing three hits.
Maria Frasco had two of the three hits off Larosa as the Irish fell to 2-4, 0-2.
Western Reserve 6, South Range 2: BERLIN CENTER -- Despite her team's six errors, Western Reserve's Jaclyn Speece (6-1) allowed only five hits in going the distance to pick up the win.
Tiffany Shugart hit a pair of singles and drove in two runs for the Blue Devils (9-1, 5-1 Inter-County League).
Teammates Ronda Barth and Tiffany Palumbo chipped in with two singles apiece.
Kristen Powers hit three singles for South Range (5-2, 2-2). Ashley Basista hit a triple.
Jackson-Milton 7, Mathews 1: Sophomore Corey Velk (4-5) of Jackson-Milton scattered four hits, struck out 10 and walked only one.
Courtney Reppy hit a double, single, drove in two runs and scored once for the Bluejays (4-6, 2-3 ICL), who have won three in a row and four out of their last five.
Springfield 15, McDonald 1: NEW MIDDLETOWN -- Maggie Marsh hurled a two-hitter and also cracked out two hits to lead Springfield.
Taryn Dobson, Renee Warren, Ashley Platt and Emily Piper all added two hits for the winners (5-5, 2-2 ICL).
McDonald falls to 0-4, all ICL games.