PREP SOFTBALL Boardman blanks SVC-rival Harding

The unbeaten Spartans had 21 hits in the 15-0 victory.
By PAUL TRGOVAC
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
BOARDMAN -- The Boardman High School softball team showed Warren Harding why the Spartans have been to the Division I State Tournament the last three years.
Wednesday at the Fields of Dreams, the unbeaten Spartans had 21 hits, did not commit an error and enjoyed shutout pitching as they beat the Raiders, 15-0.
Boardman (10-0, 3-0 Steel Valley Conference) scored in five of the six innings. Eleven of the 12 Boardman players who batted had hits, and the other player walked in her two plate appearances.
Top hitter
Jenna Brandenstein led the attack with four hits, including a triple, and two runs batted in.
Meagan Cunningham added three hits, including a double.
Jaclyn Corroto added three hits and three RBIs while Audrey Martinko, Jennifer Brandenstein and Jennifer Feret each had two hits. One of Martinko's hits was a triple.
The offensive explosion backed up the five-hit shutout pitching of Jennifer Pancake. The senior (7-0) struck out eight and hit one batter as she tossed her fifth shutout of the season. Pancake has allowed just one earned run in 48 innings.
Pancake struck out the side on 13 pitches to start the game.
In the bottom of the inning the leadoff batter for the Spartans, Carroto singled. Martinko followed with a run-scoring triple for the first run. Martinko scored on a passed ball for a 2-0 lead.
"We wanted to come out and be aggressive both on defense and offense, trying to score a couple of runs early to set the tone," Spartans coach Bill Amero said.
Only chance
Harding (5-4, 0-3) had a chance in the second inning. After one out, Jenny Bilchak doubled and moved to third on a single by Ashley Elder. Pancake struck out the next two hitters to end the threat.
Boardman scored two more runs in the second inning, one on a sacrifice fly by Melanie Lodyn.
The Spartans scored six runs in the third to put the game away. Boardman had 18 singles, one double and two triples in the game.
"We made adjustments today at the plate," Amero said. "I hope we saved a few hits for later on down the road."