In boys baseball, Ursuline, Canfield head to state action

Other Valley athletes in other sports also are preparing for state competition.

The Ursuline and Canfield high school baseball teams have their tickets punched for Columbus, but they earned their state tournament berths in a different fashion.

Behind Irish sophomore Shawn Roman’s pitching and junior infielder Ross Revella’s clutch hitting, Sean Durkin’s Irish earned their second straight state appearance by defeating LaGrange Keystone, 7-2, on Friday to win the Division III regional title at Massillon’s Schroeder Field.

Roman tossed a four-hitter for the Irish while Revella contributed a bases-loaded triple.

Canfield advanced in a much wackier fashion. With the Cardinals’ Division II game with Notre Dame Cathedral Latin at Hudson tied at 4-4 and in a weather break, the Cards discovered that their opponents were using a pitcher not on the official roster turned in before the game.

After much discussion, Canfield was awarded a 7-0 forfeit.

“We’re very excited,” Steve Schoenfeld, senior pitcher said. “This is the chance of a lifetime.”

The Irish and Cards will play in state semifinal games on Friday at Cooper Stadium in Columbus.

Other sports

Already competing in Ohio’s capital city are Boardman High’s Salcedo brothers who have qualified for the state semifinals in doubles tennis.

Today, Bryant and Robert Salcedo will face Middletown’s Michael Cole and Patrick Hamning.

Also today, the Poland and Ursuline softball teams are competing for state berths. In Div. II, Poland plays Akron Hoban at noon at Akron’s Firestone Stadium. At Massillon’s Genshaft Park, Ursuline faces Navarre Fairless at noon for the Div. III crown.

In track and field, Warren JFK senior Dan Hull won the 400-meter dash and helped the Eagles advance to the state meet in three relays as Kennedy edged Gates Mills Gilmour Academy for the Division III boys regional track title at Fairless High School.

Mineral Ridge junior Nicole Honsaker won the long jump and finished second in 100, 200 and 400 to help the Rams finish tied for fifth in the girls standings with JFK. Ursuline freshman Jasmine Brown also advanced in four events, placing fourth in the 100 and 200 and helping the Irish to first in the 4x200 relay and second in the 4x100 relay.