YOUTH DIAMONDS Canfield 13-14 softball team beats Ashtabula to win state

ELYRIA -- The Canfield age 13-14 softball team shut out Ashtabula 8-0 to win the Ohio Junior League state championship.
Lauren Sulick tossed a complete-game one-hitter, striking out six batters, as this age group won its third state title since 2000.
Nikka Bonamase and Christie Cole scored second-inning runs, and Canfield added five in the fourth inning. Katy Griswold, Courtney Rothbauer, Kelcie Herberger and Bryanne Halfhill contributed RBIs.
Halfhill produced Canfield's final run in the sixth inning with an RBI single that scored Jill Halfhill.
Regional tournament
Canfield advances to the Junior League Regional Tournament that will be played at Akron's Firestone Stadium and will open Saturday at 3 p.m. against Illinois.
In other pool play games, Canfield plays Kentucky on Sunday at 3 p.m. and Michigan on Monday at 8 p.m.
Also sending teams are Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana and Iowa.
The top two pool qualifiers in each division will advance to the Aug. 10 semifinals. The winner of the Aug. 11 championship game will qualify for the Junior League World Series that will be played at Kirkland, Wash.
In other state games, Canfield defeated Ashtabula 5-2 and Wheelersburg 4-1.
Against Ashtabula, Melissa West and Sulick combined to pitch a one-hitter.
Trailing 2-0 in the fourth inning, West singled and then scored on a Bonamase hit. Canfield tied the score an inning later after Jill Halfhill singled and West doubled.
Griswold singled and scored the winning run on Bianca Biondillo's double. Biondillo scored on a wild pitch.
Against Wheelersburg, Sulick and West combined on a six-hitter against the defending state champions.
Doubles by West and Rothbauer keyed Canfield's offense.
Chris Cole is the team's manager, and he's assisted by Eric Rothbauer and Brian Halfhill.