Lisbon outlasts Springfield, 4-3

The Blue Devils won in the eighth inning for their first sectional title in 10 years.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NEW MIDDLETOWN -- Monday's Division III sectional final between two league leaders more than lived up to its billing.
Emily Smith's sacrifice fly scored Amanda McCarty in the bottom of the eighth inning as top-seeded Lisbon defeated Springfield, 4-3.
"That was a classic battle," said Dave Crismon, coach of the Tri-County League-leading Blue Devils (19-1, 11-2) who will be making their first district appearance in 10 years.
"My girls played their hearts out, I couldn't ask for anything more," said Amy Angelo, coach of the Inter-County League leading Tigers (16-8, 12-0).
Lisbon sophomore Erica Snoddy and Springfield senior Krista Snyder were sharp on the mound as both teams overcame deficits to force extra innings.
Crismon said Lisbon's 2-1 victory over East Palestine last Thursday helped prepare his squad.
"That was similar," Crismon said. "We knew it would [come down to] whoever could limit mistakes. We made our share, but those were two quality pitchers. That's how softball is supposed to be played."
Warren gets three hits
Springfield's Christy Warren, whose three hits included a triple, led off the first inning with a single. She scored on Breanne Mincher's one-out single.
The Blue Devils tied the score in their first at-bat as Smith walked, took second on Ashley Wilson's sacrifice and scored on Katie Ketchum's double.
The Tigers came close to scoring in the third inning, but Smith fired a strike from center field to catcher Wilson to nail Warren at the plate for a double play.
"She has a great arm on her, and when she got [the ball] into home at the right time it was wonderful," Snoddy said.
"This feels pretty good," said Snoddy after scattering six hits in her first tournament game on the mound. "It was a great overall team effort."
Ketchum produced the Devils' second RBI the hard way when she was hit by a pitch on her elbow with the bases loaded in the fourth inning.
Tigers take 3-2 lead
The Tigers responded with two runs in their next at-bat. Warren singled and scored on Ashley Fagnano's double. A throwing error after a groundout allowed Fagnano to score for a 3-2 lead.
"When we went down 3-2, we all got down a little bit on ourselves, but we knew we could come back from it because of our bats," Snoddy said.
The Devils tied the score in the sixth inning when McCarty scored on a wild pitch. Snyder (14-3) escaped the jam by striking out Ashley Clapper and getting Smith to pop out.
Snoddy (8-0) dominated down the stretch, retiring the final seven Tigers' batters in order.
"She's just a sophomore and her strides from last year to this year are just amazing," Crismon said. "For a kid who's barely 15, she just has a ton of confidence.
"We're confident that she would keep us in the game, but Snyder is a quality pitcher, too," Crismon said.
Coach praises batters
Crismon praised his batters for not biting on Snyder's changeup.
"I had some girls show a ton of patience at the plate and that was a real key," Crismon said. "Kids were disciplined enough not swing at bad pitches."
Lisbon has a one-game lead over East Palestine in the TCL race. A win Thursday or Friday against Columbiana will give the Blue Devils a share of the crown. A sweep will give it to them outright.
Springfield closes the regular season with Mineral Ridge Wednesday and Lowellville Thursday. With a two-game edge over Western Reserve, the Tigers need one win to claim the ICL title outright.
williams@vindy.com