Ursuline topples Boardman; Mooney stops Mineral Ridge
Champion, Canfield and West Branch each earned shutout victories.
BOARDMAN -- A four-hit, four-run third inning Thursday propelled the Ursuline High softball team to a 4-0 victory over Boardman.
In the third inning, Kelsey Price walked and Kasey Lower sacrificed her to second base. After Mary Hendricks grounded out, Jolanta Carkido's two-out single scored Price.
Natalie Palermo followed with a single and Nika Bonamase's two-run single scored Carkido and Palermo. Bonamase came home on Angelina Joseph's single.
Bonamase, a junior, finished with two singles and two RBIs, while Lower, a freshman, struck out nine and issued three walks for the victory for Ursuline (2-0).
Jaclyn Cunningham had two singles for Boardman (1-1).
Mooney 15, Mineral Ridge 2
MINERAL RIDGE -- Sophomore Kelcie Herberger had three singles and three RBIs for Mooney (2-1).
Herberger was pitching a perfect game through four innings before Mineral Ridge got a walk, three hits and two runs in the fifth.
Senior Mara Palombaro had a triple and single for two RBIs, Krissy Cormell, a junior, had two singles and three RBIs and freshman Chrissy Porter had two doubles and an RBI for the Cardinals.
Champion 8, Conneaut 0
WARREN -- Champion pitcher Morgan White struck out 11 and walked one in a two-hit shutout in the Flashes' first game since falling in the Division III state final last June.
Katie Faluga and Meagan Dzurinda each had two hits and Ashley Rable had three RBIs.
Lakeview 11, Jefferson 2
JEFFERSON -- Jen Baker, Chelsea Butler, Amy Downs, Jessica Downs, Lex Sidley and Brigitte Morvay each had two hits for the Bulldogs (3-0).
The Downs sisters and Sidley each drove in three runs.
Winning pitcher Abbey Bensing (2-0) struck out 10 and walked four.
Chaney 21, Rayen 2
YOUNGSTOWN -- Jessica Gavin hit a three-run homer for the Cowgirls (2-1, 1-0 Steel Valley Conference). She also singled.
Susan Kranick had two of Chaney's six hits. One was a three-run triple.
Rayen fell to 0-2, 0-2.
Canfield 10, Western Reserve 0
BERLIN CENTER -- Tricia Bettura pitched a three-hitter through four innings with five strikeouts to pick up the win.
Jena Ervin hit two doubles and a single, and drove in three runs for the Cardinals.
Bettura hit a triple and double and drove in two runs. Melissa West hit a double and single.
Erika Goddard and Brittany Boyer led the Blue Devils with two singles apiece.
West Branch 1, Alliance 0
BELOIT -- Winning pitcher Bri Benedict led off the first inning for the Warriors (1-1) with a single.
She stole second, advanced to third on an error and scored on a wild pitch.
Benedict also hit another single and threw a two-hitter to pick up the win.
Cara Gainer, in a losing cause, tossed a four-hitter for the Aviators (2-1).
Aquinas 1, Sebring 0
LOUISVILLE -- Sebring's Bri Jones allowed just four hits and struck out six, but her teammates couldn't give her any support against St. Thomas.
Kelly Smith pitched a two-hitter for St. Thomas, while Leigh Moffett had two hits in the win.
Yo. Christian 14, Lutheran East 4
YOUNGSTOWN -- Sara Bell, Kristi Cooper and Melissa Byrdy each had four hits as YCS compiled 16 hits in an East Suburban Conference win.
Cecily Sandy (1-0) got the win and Byrdy pitched two innings of relief.