LaBrae gets berth in district tourney

The Vikings edged Ursuline 2-1 for the sectional championship.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
VIENNA -- The road from the Orwell district to the Massillon regional softball tournament runs through Trumbull County.
Specifically, the Trumbull Athletic Conference.
Tuesday, the LaBrae High softball team (7-6) joined three other conference rivals in earning district tournament berths by edging Ursuline, 2-1, at the Thunderplex Complex. A fourth rival, Newton Falls, could join them if the Tigers win their suspended game with Warren JFK.
Vikings pitcher Kim Calderwood scattered four hits and stranded four runners in her Division III pitcher's duel with the Irish's Maureen Cearfoss (15-7).
"It feels good," Vikings catcher Lia Gordon said of ousting the Steel Valley Conference champions. "The past two years, we came up against them in sectionals and lost, so there's a little bit of revenge there."
Meets Champion Tuesday
Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at Grand Valley Middle School, LaBrae will meet Champion for the third time in a district semifinal game.
"Our record doesn't show how good we are," LaBrae coach Chad Kiser said. "Today, we really hit the ball well and we had good pitching and good defense to carry us through.
"We've battled all year -- we've lost five of our games by one run," Kiser said. "So this was a big one for our confidence.
"Our league is the best in the area," said Kiser, referring to successful seasons by state-ranked Champion, Newton Falls, Lakeview and Hubbard.
Champion boasts 23-1 mark
The first two LaBrae-Champion games were one-run nail-biters won by the Golden Flashes (23-1, 13-0 TAC).
"Champion is coming back from a Final Four appearance and they have one of the best pitchers in the state in Kasey Karr," Kiser said. "Lindsey McCartney of Newton Falls also is one of the best.
"Four of our six losses have been to [Champion and Newton Falls], three by one run," Kiser said. "So I consider us to be right there at their level and I think we can play with anyone in the state."
Ursuline coach Mike Kernan agrees.
"When I saw they have been competing with Champion, I knew we had to play our best game," Kernan said. "In our district, you have to play your best."
Angelica Pugh scored the Vikings' first run in the first inning after a bunt single and stolen base. Calderwood's one-out single to right field brought Pugh home.
The Irish tied the game in their next at-bat as Natalie Palermo singled, stole second base and took third on a wild pitch. Alessandra Parry's sacrifice fly knotted the score at 1-1.
Game winning rally
The Vikings scored in the fourth inning when Calderwood and Lia Gordon hit consecutive pitches for doubles.
"I was just looking to get a hit because I knew that was one of our few opportunities to score," Gordon said of her blast that landed over the left fielder. "We had the meat of our lineup up then and we knew we had to do it then."
Calderwood wasn't surprised.
"Lia always seems to come through with the big hit," Calderwood said.
Snuffed out rally
In the seventh inning, Palermo was on third base and Jolanta Carkido on second when Calderwood ended the game with a strikeout.
"Her drop pitch was working real well and it really kept our girls off-balance," Kernan said. "They weren't seeing it as well as they should have."
A four-year varsity starter, Cearfoss has 66 career wins.
"In the past three years, we were fortunate to make it to the district championship game and win two of the three," Kernan said. "This just wasn't our year."
So are the Vikings underdogs or just unknown?
"A little bit of both," Calderwood said.
"Because we've lost early in the tournament the past two years, we haven't had much [publicity]," Calderwood said. "But we have a lot of heart and a lot of talent.
Gordon likes the role her teammates have earned.
"[Four or five] of the eight TAC teams going to districts says just how competitive our league is," Gordon said. "Our record may not show it but we've been in every game. We battle to the end."
williams@vindy.com