Ursuline is advancing to district title game -- again

The Irish will meet CVCA in today's championship.
By CHUCK HOUSTEAU
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NORTH LIMA -- Ursuline High's Vannessa Dickson is no stranger to playing in big games.
The senior has played in two state basketball championship games and won a state title as an integral part of the Ursuline girls basketball team.
This year, Dickson returned to the diamond after skipping her junior season and she played a key role Monday in leading the Irish softball team to their fourth district championship game in the last five seasons.
Dickson had two hits and drove in three runs and she made several outstanding plays in the field to lead Ursuline past East Palestine, 6-4, in the Division III district semifinal game at the South Range sports complex.
The Irish (16-10) will face CVCA today at 5:30 for a trip to the Division III regional at Genshaft Park in Massillon.
"I hope I bring some kind of leadership aspect to the team," Dickson said. "I know what it's like going down to state and I know that you have to go game by game.
"We have four close-knit seniors on our team and we don't want [today] to be our last game."
Key hit
Dickson did her part when the game resumed Monday in the second inning with Ursuline leading 2-0 and the Irish at bat with two outs and runners on first and second.
The senior laced a double that drove in Kelly Podolsky and Jolanta Carkido and gave the Irish a 4-0 lead.
"I didn't want to put any pressure on Dickson," said Ursuline coach Mike Kernan. "But I was thinking to myself that if she gets a hit that's a huge boost to us and if she doesn't get a hit it's a huge boost to their way."
The four runs were crucial because East Palestine answered in the next inning with two runs on a throwing error by Ursuline pitcher Ashley Koval and a sacrifice fly by Becky Hill.
Ursuline scored another run in the bottom of the third inning on a walk by Ashley Siembieda, a sacrifice by Jenna Klempay and an RBI single by Angeline Joseph to increase the lead to 5-2.
Koval had a rough inning on the mound in the fourth as she gave up a double to Jenn Yokley and an RBI single to Katie Browne. Browne then scored the Bulldogs' fourth run on a line drive to left off the bat of Jennie Allison that was ruled an error.
Ursuline got its final run on an RBI single by Dickson, her third of the game, that chased home Carkido for a 6-4 lead after four innings.
Carkido had two hits and a walk and scored three times as the leadoff batter for Ursuline.
Strong defense
The Irish played outstanding defense the entire game but especially in the last three innings.
Dickson and third baseman Angeline Joseph combined for 10 assists and four putouts from the left side of the infield.
"When we make plays on defense like that it lets us hang around in games until the offense gets going," Kernan said. "Defense set the tone for this game."
East Palestine coach Dan McKinstry was proud of the effort of the Bulldogs (20-6) who were making their first district appearance.
"We didn't play very well," McKinstry said. "I think the layoff hurt us. We haven't played in about two weeks and defensively I thought it hurt us and [pitcher] Chelsea Peterson wasn't as sharp as usual.
"She walked four or five batters and she hasn't done that all season."