LaBrae's Gordon ready for college

She and the Vikings had a rough time Thursday against Champion, losing 10-0.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
LEAVITTSBURG -- Lia Gordon is counting down the days until she leaves for college.
And by accepting a full scholarship to play softball for Cleveland State next year, the LaBrae High senior won't even have to change her team's nickname.
LaBrae's nickname is Vikings and so is Cleveland State's.
Gordon, the Vikings second baseman/catcher, is having a great season, hitting over .500 with five home runs. She's one of the team captains.
"I've got four months and 12 days and then I'm off to college and I can't wait," Gordon said.
Unfortunately for Gordon and the Vikings, Thursday wasn't a good day against the Champion Golden Flashes.
In a key Trumbull Athletic Conference battle between the top two teams in the standings, the Vikings dropped a 10-0, five inning game to the Flashes.
Teams share TAC lead
LaBrae is 11-5, 9-2 in the TAC while Champion is 12-4, 7-2. LaBrae won the first meeting between the teams 7-2.
Gordon is the Vikings' best power hitter as her five home runs indicate. She hit a grand slam in the first game against Champion off the Flashes ace pitcher Kasey Karr.
But Karr got the better of the matchup Thursday, striking out Gordon in her first trip and then getting her to ground out with the bases loaded in her second at bat.
"She's [Karr] a great pitcher and we've played together in the summer for several years," Gordon said. "Today, she got the best of me.
"I guess my strong point is my power hitting, although you wouldn't know it from how I played today," Gordon said.
To catch in college
Gordon expects to be a catcher for Cleveland State next season, which she feels is her best position.
LaBrae coach Chad Kiser said that Gordon made the switch to second base to help the team.
"She's a great competitor and she's a really good second baseman, but catcher is her best position," Kiser said.
"The twins [Stepfanie Higgins and Lindsey Higgins] work so well together pitching and catching that we didn't want to break that up, so Lia moved to second," he added.
Gordon said that she was surprised when she heard from Cleveland State last summer.
"The first day they could contact players was July 1 and I think they called at 10 a.m.," she said. "I had received offers from other schools and made some visits, but I really loved Cleveland State.
Thursday, the Vikings ran up against a red-hot Champion team.
The Flashes pounded out 12 hits in five innings, seven of them extra-base blows. Five were triples.
"We've been working a lot and hard on our hitting this past week and it paid off today," Champion coach Cheryl Weaver said.
Kiser agreed.
"I've seen them play several times and this was definitely the best they've hit the ball this year," Kiser said.
The Flashes wasted little time jumping on LaBrae starter Stepfanie Higgins as the first four batters recorded hits including an RBI triple by Karr and RBI double by Katie Saluga. Champion scored four times in the opening inning.
While the Flashes were pounding the ball, Karr had the Vikings eating out of her hand.
She allowed just two singles and was only in trouble once when the Vikings loaded the bases in the third inning, but she got Gordon to hit a grounder back to the mound to end the inning.
Karr struck out five and walked just one batter. At the plate, the Flashes senior who has a scholarship to attend Division I Lafayette College was three-for-three at the plate with a triple and double. She also walked once.
Ashley Rable added two triples while Carla Poradak and Jaclyn Carpenter each had one triple for the Flashes.
LaBrae's only hits came off the bat of Lindsey Higgins, who came on in relief of her sister in the fourth inning, and Amanda Witherow.
mollica@vindy.com