Kernan praises effort as Irish are state runners-up in softball

Ursuline State Finals

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Ursuline lost to the Lancers in the State Finals in Akron - robertkyosay

Ursuline Beats Sandy Valley

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Ursuline defeated Sandy Valley at Akrons Frireston Stadium in the state Semi Final Game 7-1 - robertkyosay

By Tom Williams

AKRON — Following Saturday’s 5-0 loss to Hebron Lakewood in the Division III state title game, Ursuline High softball coach Michael Kernan reflected on his school’s winningest season.

“At the beginning of the season, all I ask is that [they] give me every ounce in preparation and conditioning and practice and games played,” Kernan said of his message to his players. “And I know we’re successful if I know everyone gave everything that they had.

“I know all these kids gave us everything they had to put us here,” Kernan said of the school’s first trip to state. “Walking off the field here, I [told] my kids that we’re successful.”

Not surprisingly, Ursuline’s final game of the season was close until the bottom of the fifth inning. That’s when Lakewood ace Alissa Birkhimer ripped a three-run double to spark the Lancers to their second straight state crown.

In the tournament run to state, Ursuline (27-7) survived extra-inning scares by Newton Falls, Champion and West Salem Northwestern.

“When we think of all the games that could have gone either way, I’m just so happy that we were able to get this far,” Irish senior outfielder Rebecca Hartz said. “I would have liked to have won, that would have been the storybook ending, but we know that some of the best stories aren’t the ones that are always happy.”

In the first inning, Hartz snagged a line drive off Chelsea Brewer’s bat to strand two baserunners in ending Lakewood’s first at-bat.

The Lancers’ first two-batters reached base in the second inning when Irish ace Casey Lower went to work.

Lower retired Brooke Gault on a groundout, caught a line drive hit by Megan Swiantek and struck out Emily Voehringer.

Lower, a junior, finished the season with a 26-7 record.

“You really couldn’t ask for more,” Lower said of qualifying for the championship game.

“The only thing we could have done better was to actually win it,” Lower said. “We’ve gone farther than any Ursuline softball team.

“I can’t ask for more of my team — I know they were behind me for every pitch of every game. It was a great experience.”

Lower said seniors Hartz and second baseman Miranda Carkido will be missed.

“That’s what hurts the most because we’ve gotten so attached to each other,” Lower said. “Our team is a real family and we’ve come to count on each other and trust each other. It’s one of the best teams I’ve ever been on.”

About the state experience, Carkido said, “It’s an amazing end to my season. I wish it [finished] a little bit better.”

Kernan said he thought Lower “pitched very well today. We were playing a great team that was putting the bat on the ball so she didn’t have her [usual] strikeouts.

“They loaded up the bases with two bunt singles and a bloop that caught the line in left field for their best hitter,” Kernan said of the Lancers’ fifth-inning rally. “They made it happen. I didn’t think she was off up until all that happened.”

Kernan said pregame jitters weren’t a problem.

“We felt confident coming in today,” Kernan said. “We knew it was going to be a battle, we had to get clutch hits and we had to play top defense.

“We started out that way but it just didn’t end up that way. We knew we needed to play one of our best games ever against a great opponent.”

Lakewood finished 30-4.

williams@vindy.com