PREP SOFTBALL Jackson-Milton slips past Rams for 3-2 win

Bluejays coach Kelly Snowden recorded her 100th victory.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NORTH JACKSON -- There were a lot of heroines in the Jackson-Milton High softball team's 3-2 decision over Mineral Ridge Friday in an Inter-County League game that delivered coach Kelly Snowden her 100th victory in her sixth season.
On offense, Niki James' double drove in Jayne Fenton with the deciding run in the bottom of the sixth inning as the Blue Jays (15-5, 9-4 ICL) snapped a 2-2 deadlock to outlast the Rams (16-4, 7-3).
J-M's win gives Western Reserve (11-2 in the ICL) a share of the loop title.
On the mound, senior Corey Velk bested sophomore Kaili Gehring over the distance as both pitched six-hitters. Velk (15-5) had eight strikeouts while Gehring (13-3) had six.
Effective in clutch
Velk was tough in the clutch. She contained the Rams' uprising in the sixth inning to only one run by striking out Jamie Goodman with Sarah Stark on third base to keep the score tied at 2-2.
And in the seventh, Velk fanned Hailey Dando to open the inning, then induced the Rams to hit infield and short fly-outs to preserve the win.
On defense, Bluejays catcher Kay Bruss made an outstanding diving catch of Sylvia Dubic's infield fly for the second out of the seventh inning.
Jackson-Milton second baseman Shannon McGee made a fine catch in short right field of Katie Garland's short fly ball to end the game.
Defense delivers
"I think we played tremendous defense and we executed the bunt that scored [our first run] -- Jayne's bunt," said Snowden, referring to Fenton's sacrifice bunt that scored Audry Robinson, who had singled, in the third inning to tie the score at 1-1.
Robinson scored on Kay Bruss' single to give Jackson-Milton a 2-1 lead. Robinson finished with two singles.
Snowden said Velk has been a workhorse all season.
"Corey is consistently keeping us in the game. She pitched every game -- all 20 decisions," said Snowden, noting that Velk overcame an ankle injury to pitch Friday.
Rams lack offense
Coach Gene Cheredar of Mineral Ridge said his team lacked offensive punch.
"We just couldn't put the hits together," Cheredar said.
The Rams took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on Tomisa Sangregorio's infield single that brought in Dubic, who had singled. Sangregorio finished with two singles.
And they tied it a 2-2 in the top of the sixth on Stark's bunt single that scored Gehring, who had tripled to open the frame. Gehring also had a single.
Kovach@vindy.com