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Hillsdale blanks South Range in final in Massillon
By DOUG CHAPIN
MASSILLON
South Range High had its 27-game softball winning streak broken Saturday in a 7-0 loss to Jeromesville Hillsdale in the Division III regional championship game at Massillon Community Park.
A three-run first inning was more than enough for Hillsdale’s senior pitcher Adrienne Young, who limited the Raiders (29-2) to three hits and struck out eight. South Range (29-2) had just one runner get as far as second base.
“She’s not overpowering at all, but she’s got three or four different pitches. She throws them all very well and she puts them right where she wants to,” South Range coach Don Feren said about Young. “She pitched a great game. She’s probably one of the best we’ve seen all year.”
The Falcons (26-5) used an infield single, a bunt, a walk and another bunt to plate one run in the first inning.
Then with two outs, Rhannon Eick singled to right field and barely beat the throw to first by South Range’s Darrian Yanek. Two runs scored on the play. Hillsdale added three more runs in the fourth and one in the seventh.
“We knew coming in that when they get on base they are very capable of stealing any time, pushing everything,” Feren said. “They made us pay for the mistakes we made.
“We had only given up three runs total in just two games all year, and you fall behind 3-0 right away it puts you in a hole. You’ve got to give them credit. They took advantage of things and capitalized.”
With just one senior on the team (catcher Laura Biroschak), South Range fans probably were not expecting a 27 games above .500 season and a berth in the regional championship.
“We knew we’d be pretty good but we didn’t expect this,” Feren said. “She [Biroschak] will be hard to replace. We’ve got a lot of girls coming back, but she was without a doubt our team leader.”
Even though they may have surprised some people, the Raiders showed up Saturday looking to take another step on the tournament trail.
“It can be, but I wish we had learned a little bit more while we were here,” Feren said when asked how the Raiders’ tournament run can be a learning experience for next season. “I hate to say just being here is a good experience. When we came here today we didn’t want to just get experience, we wanted to win the game.
“It’s hurting right now for them, but I think they know what they need to do to get back here again next year.”
South Range last made it to the regional level in 2001. Hillsdale captured a regional championship as recently as 2007 and has won five state titles in 12 trips to the state Final Four.