PREP SOFTBALL DiDomenico tames Mooney as Boardman gains 14th win

The junior pitched a seven-hitter with 10 strikeouts in a 4-1 win.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BOARDMAN -- Ashley DiDomenico has been playing softball since she was 7 years old.
And she has had the benefit of a pitching coach since she was 9.
In addition, she works out with weights on her own and is strong.
So with that background, it is easy to see why the Boardman High junior can throw the ball very fast.
And it was her fast pitch, all the more effective with control, that proved to be the main reason Cardinal Mooney had a tough time trying to hit the ball Friday in their softball game at the Field of Dreams.
DiDomenico pitched a seven-hitter with 10 strikeouts over the distance, and especially was tough in the clutch; plus she slammed a two-run double in the second inning and had a bunt single to lead Boardman to a 4-1 victory.
She put down Mooney uprisings in the fourth and fifth innings to carry a 4-0 lead into the seventh inning, before the Cardinals rallied to score their only run. But she doused the rally with runners at third and first bases.
DiDomenico's pitches lost none of their zip in the later innings as she outlasted Mooney starter Stefanie Grimaldi and third-inning reliever Colleen Courtney. Grimaldi (6-4) gave up 10 of Boardman's 12 hits.
Gets better later
"Usually toward the end of the game I get stronger and looser and adjust my pitches and get more comfortable," said DiDomenico, who had excellent control throughout.
"I tried to throw inside and jam the hitters. I was hitting the corners [and] I was getting the outside and inside calls."
Boardman (14-2) coach Bill Amero said DiDomenico was using a variety of pitches with control.
"She was using a fastball, changeup, drop and curve. She was hitting her spots good. She had a lot of pop on the ball," Amero said. "She was strong in the clutch."
Jaclyn Corroto had a double and two singles and Holly Holman two singles to also lead Boardman.
Mooney can't capitalize
Coach Mark Rinehart of Mooney (14-7) said his team had chances to score, but left too many runners on base.
"The key [to the game] was that we left 12 runners on base. We didn't get a hit until the seventh inning," he said.
That was when pinch hitter Jen Gonda drilled a single that scored Nimi Vitello all the way from first base. Vitello reached first base on an error.
"We had a lot of good solid contact. We got something going [but] we just didn't finish," said Rinehart. "They [Boardman] did a better job hitting when they had runners in scoring position."
Gina Brunetti had two singles for Mooney.
Boardman took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Corroto, who opened the inning with a double, eventually scored on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded.
The Spartans boosted their lead to 3-0 in the second inning on DiDomenico's two-run single that brought home Corroto and Holmon, who both also had singled.
Boardman got its final run in the third inning on Sarah Albani's single that drove in Melanie Lodyn, who reached first on a fielder's choice and went to second on Holman's single.
kovach@vindy.com