'Limping to Ashland'

To defend their state title, the Spartans must overcome injuries.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BOARDMAN -- To no one's surprise, the Boardman High softball team's bandwagon is blazing its third consecutive trip to the state tournament in Ashland.
But this time, injuries are threatening to knock some of the steam out of the Spartans' Formula One engine.
"It looks like we're limping down to Ashland," Spartans coach Bill Amero said after Boardman (27-4) escaped a close call Saturday, winning the Division I regional final 9-8 over Madison.
"I'm glad I brought 18 girls because I think I used 14 of them," said Amero.
Ashland-bound
The Spartans are making their third straight state excursion. In 2000, they finished as state runner-up; last year, they won the title.
Eight of the starters from the 2001 championship team are back; seven are playing the same position ... sort of.
Junior Jennifer Pancake moved from left field to the pitcher's mound to replace Marissa Bartholomew. Sharing the catching chores are Meghan Hovanic and Meagan Cunningham.
Senior Laura Amero again patrols center, while junior Audrey Martinko holds down right.
Senior third baseman Gina Rango and junior first baseman Jennifer Feret anchor the infield.
Normally, senior Mary McCabe is the shortstop and sophomore Jaclyn Corroto is at second base. But because McCabe injured her right forearm in last Thursday's 4-2 win over Massillon Jackson, Coach Amero executed a major shuffling of the lineup for the final.
With McCabe wearing an arm sling during warm-ups, Cunningham started at shortstop.
But when Boardman fell behind 6-4 in the second inning, Amero revised his infield, putting McCabe at second, Corroto at shortstop and Cunningham behind the plate.
"We had to put Mary out there in the late innings," Amero said of the defensive switch. "She has a sore forearm, but she could make the throw from second. During the game, she stepped up and said, 'I can do it, coach.' That's a sign of a warrior."
Amero said he considered starting McCabe, "but in warmups, it didn't seem like the thing to do. And to be honest, the way we started the game, [the switches] looked like a good move."
Early advantage
Amero was referring to the 3-0 lead the Spartans jumped out to in the top of the first inning.
But Madison scored six runs in the first two innings after Pancake had three pitches changed to automatic balls because the third-base umpire said she was crow-hopping -- having her foot leave the rubber before the ball was released.
Pancake admitted the accusation bothered her "a little bit but I knew I had to do my job and correct as much as I can to pitch my game.
"I really don't pay attention to the fans or anything -- I focus on the catcher and the batter," Pancake said. "I block everybody else out."
Amero said he questioned the umpire as to why he considered her motion illegal after the umpires in 30 other games didn't see anything wrong.
After Madison's Lindsay Schmid cleared the bases with a two-out double, Amero brought in Rango to pitch, and she retired Rena Schafer to end the inning.
"We took the attitude that we have to use every player and every weapon that we have," Amero said. "When Jen was getting hit hard, I think she needed to be relieved, but I didn't think she needed to come out of the game."
Amero did use Rango one other time -- when Schmid batted in the fourth inning after hitting a triple and double. Schmid singled, but left-fielder Krysta Sylvester threw out Kristi Jackson at home to end the inning.
Boardman's other pitcher, Ashley DiDomenico, injured a leg against Jackson. Her status is questionable for Thursday's state semifinal against Cincinnati Sycamore (16-10).
Lineup adjustment
Without McCabe to bat leadoff, Amero shuffled the batting lineup as well, moving Corroto up from third to first and moving Pancake from her normal sixth spot to third.
Amero proclaimed that change a success after Corroto opened the game with a hit, stolen base and scored the Spartans' first run.
Pancake contributed two hits, including a fifth-inning double that launched a three-run rally.
"We never gave up on ourselves," Amero said. "We're a close-knit team and we believe in each other -- that's certainly one of our strengths."
But the game didn't end without more pain being suffered.
Corroto aggravated her right calf while running to third base on her sixth-inning lead-off triple.
And Cunningham was hit hard in a home-plate collision with Madison baserunner Kaylee Emmett in the fifth inning.
williams@vindy.com