Irish make most of chances

Casey Lower’s 19th victory has Ursuline one victory away from a state trip.

By JIM FLICK

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

MASSILLON — The Ursuline High softball team managed only two hits Thursday in a Division III regional semifinal game, but still managed to defeat Burton Berkshire, 4-0.

The win advanced the Irish (22-8) to regional championship game against Navarre Fairless (20-9) Saturday at noon at Genshaft Park.

“I’m not sure where the runs came from,” Ursuline coach Mike Kernan joked after the game. “But a run’s a run.”

“It was a great team win. We scraped out a win against a very good team,” Kernan said.

Ursuline’s runs were unearned because Berkshire (20-6) committed five errors.

Kernan praised his team’s defense and Irish pitcher Casey Lower. Lower, a freshman, pitched a complete game as she boosted her record to 19-5. She struck out five and walked two.

Lower “pitched her heart out today,” Kernan said. “She rose to the occasion.”

Pitching duel

The effort by the freshman, who was named second team All-Ohio, was a key to the Irish success because the Badgers countered with their own ace hurler, Sarah Zeleznikar, a senior who was named first-team All-Ohio.

Zeleznikar pitched a complete game, striking out seven and walking only three, but her record fell to 17-2.

With the Ursuline offense largely held in check, thwarting Berkshire’s offense was a key to victory.

“Our defense really stepped it up today,” Kernan said.

A key to the defense, he added, was the strong defensive play of shortstop Angelina Joseph, a senior.

The Irish scored their first run in the second when catcher Nikka Bonamase walked, moved around the bases on a sacrifice and a wild pitch. Bonamase scored when a routine grounder eluded Berkshire’s second baseman.

Ursuline scored a second run without a hit in the fifth inning, when second baseman Anna Donko, a freshman, crossed home plate after a wild pitch.

Yarab ignites rally

In the sixth inning, junior Jessica Yarab started a scoring outburst when she singled. Yarab was replaced on the bases by pinch runner Rebecca Hartz, and freshman Kasey Foley joined her on the base paths when she reached base on an error by Berkshire’s shortstop.

With Hartz on second and Foley on third, errors by the Badgers’ pitcher and catcher allowed both runners to score, giving Ursuline a 4-0 lead.

After the game, Berkshire coach Dave List said the Badgers’ errors were errors of aggression.

“In tournament games, you have to try to be aggressive,” List said. “We were aggressive. Our errors didn’t happen because we were sitting back and waiting for something to happen. We didn’t lose because of lack of hustle.”

One key moment when Ursuline made the play came in the bottom of the second inning. Berkshire second baseman Danielle Finkler led off with a triple. But Lower struck out a batter and then coaxed the next batter into slapping a weak infield popup that the pitcher fielded herself. The threat ended when a third batter tapped a routine grounder to short.

Berkshire mounted a final threat in the bottom of the seventh when Michelle Meyers led off with a single, her second hit of the game. But Ursuline’s defense wiped out the runner with a double play, and ended the game when the next batter tapped a routine grounder.