Sulick strikes out dozen as Canfield edges Euclid

Tricia Bettura and Kerrie Haurin had RBIs in the Cardinals' 3-1 win.
BOARDMAN -- Strong pitching and two key hits provided the difference Thursday at the Fields of Dreams as the Canfield High softball team edged Euclid 3-1 in a Division I district semifinal.
The win advanced the Cardinals (21-4) to today's district championship game against Fitch (14-9). It's Canfield's first district finale since 2002 when the Cardinals lost to Poland, 4-0, in Div. II.
"We had high expectations at the start of the year," Canfield coach Fred Mayhew said, "and we had young talent and good leadership in our seniors."
Canfield began Thursday's game with its first five runners reaching base. Still, the Cardinals didn't score a run until their No. 6 hitter, freshman Tricia Bettura, singled to score sophomore Jena Ervin and freshman Bryanne Halfhill.
Sulick (10-2) retired the first 11 Euclid batters, striking out six and getting two more on comebackers to the mound.
Perfect game stopped
However, with two outs in the fourth, Stephanie Tartaglione's double, the lone extra base hit of the game, ended Sulick's perfect game bid.
Katie Puda singled, scoring Tartaglione to make the score 2-1.
"I just went out and threw strikes," Sulick said. "You just have to stay calm and do what you know you should do. Plus I knew the defense was behind me."
Canfield added an insurance run in the sixth inning when senior Kerrie Haurin singled home Halfill.
"I saw that the bases were loaded with two outs and I knew I had to make something out of it," Haurin said. "It's exciting to have a strong finish like this.
"Right now I think we have a chance to go all the way and I'm sure the other two seniors [Stephanie Zunic and Danielle Spencer] feel the same," Haurin said.
After the fourth inning, Sulick settled in, retiring 10 of the last 11 batters she faced. In the fifth, she fanned the side and finished the game with 12 strikeouts.
She threw 101 pitches, 71 of which were strikes.
Mayhew said he didn't know who would pitch against Fitch but Sulick quickly chimed in that she was ready.
"She wants to pitch every day," Mayhew said.