Friday, June 7, 2002
ASHLAND -- Through 12 innings of twists and turns, Marissa Bartholomew could only sit and watch.
When Cincinnati Sycamore ruined the Boardman High softball team's chances for back-to-back Division I state titles, Bartholomew could only sit and watch.
The former Boardman High pitcher, who led the Spartans to their first state title a year ago, sat through fall-like temperatures Thursday at Brookside Park, carrying every hope of her former teammates.
Still a Spartan
Bartholomew also carried memories of a 2001 season in which she pitched Boardman past Hamilton for the state championship, culminating her 21-2 record.
"It was a lot different," said Bartholomew, moments after Katie Luning slapped the game-winning RBI single to left field, giving Sycamore a 1-0 victory in the state semifinals.
"I was just looking back on last year, remembering everything," she said. "Everyone's in the same position. It just seems like a different team."
Bartholomew, who now plays at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa., was in a unique situation last season, being the only senior in the Spartans' starting lineup.
"I didn't really think of anyone as a grade level," she said. "Everyone was really close."
When the 2001 season ended, Bartholomew didn't have any magical words for her teammates. Simply put, "Just bring another one home." Of course, she was referring to another state title.
"I thought they would make it back to at least the state title game," Bartholomew said. "They were only losing me, and they had the most experience of everyone here."
Sometimes it doesn't work out that way. Sometimes a team, playing in its first state tournament, has the breaks go its way.
That was the case for Sycamore, which benefited from an 11th-inning appeal at third base that took a Boardman run off the scoreboard.
The third-base umpire ruled that Spartans baserunner Audrey Martinko didn't tag before she scored on Laura Amero's sacrifice fly.
"It looked like it gave [Sycamore] momentum. After that they were up and ready to go," Bartholomew said.
Stepping up
When Bartholomew left for Mercyhurst, Boardman knew it would have to find a way to replace her 21 wins. The Spartans turned to Jennifer Pancake, Gina Rango and Ashley DiDomenico.
With Rango more effective at third base and the freshman DiDomenico serving as the backup, the junior Pancake emerged as the team's top pitcher.
Pancake, who finished with a 15-3 record despite missing two weeks because of an ankle injury, limited Sycamore to two hits through eight innings and just four for the game.
"Jennifer did a good job. We just didn't give her the run support she needed," Boardman coach Bill Amero said.
Pancake was trying to match Bartholomew's feat of a year ago.
"She took the team all the way," Pancake said. "I was hoping to do it this year, but sometimes it doesn't happen."
Bartholomew said, "I definitely thought she could come in and pitch well, and she did that. She did her job."
Foundation
The Spartans may not have been able to complete the back-to-back title sweep. They did, however, give future Boardman teams something on which to build, having qualified for their third straight state tournament.
"When I was a freshman, we didn't even make it out of districts," Bartholomew said. "Each year we kept progressing. We can definitely say we made a big impact."
XBrian Richesson covers high school sports for The Vindicator. Write to him at richesson@vindy.com.