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Perry rallies in 7th to oust Boardman
By TOM WILLIAMS
AKRON
Two outs away from Boardman High’s biggest softball win in eight seasons, an infield bloop lost in the sun and bases-loaded double helped bring an abrupt end to the Spartans’ dreams of state.
Shelbie Tilton’s double to left-center field scored Abbey Filliez, Morgan McLaughlin and Anna Fach to give Massillon Perry a stunning 3-2 victory and Division I regional title on Saturday at the University of Akron’s Lee Jackson Field.
“We always give 110 percent and this game meant more than anything to us,” said senior first baseman Jamie Massaro, one of five Spartans whose varsity careers stopped one win short of the state’s Final Four. “This is what we worked for ... and it really stings.
“We all played one of the best games that we ever played and I’m so happy that everyone stayed in the game 24-7,” Massaro said. “It just [hurts] when you can’t finish out and move on.”
Playing their Federal League rivals for the second time this spring, the Spartans (21-7) carried a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning.
In 13 innings against Spartans junior ace Alex DiDomenico, the Panthers (25-3) had one hit — Sarah Samblanet’s fifth inning single. (In the regular season, DiDomenico tossed a no-hitter at Perry, but lost, 1-0, on an unearned run.)
Filliez led off the Panthers’ final at-bat with a single to center field. After fouling off an 0-2 pitch, McLaughlin popped up and the ball fell in between DiDomenico and senior second baseman Angela Martin.
“The ball got lost in the sun and drops,” said Boardman coach Mike Trell, adding that Martin backed off because she thought DiDomenico had it. “It snowballs from there. Once you put the tying run on, you’re always in a tough position.”
Massaro alertly picked up the ball as Filliez scampered but threw high to second base.
After DiDomenico whiffed Samblanet, Fach twice fouled off two-strike pitches then singled to right-center field to load the bases.
On the next pitch, Tilton smacked the ball into left-center field to clear the bases.
“Perry is a great team,” said Trell who said the Spartans still have a regular-season makeup game to play against the Panthers. “When we jumped out to that 2-0 lead, we felt like we had them where we wanted them.
“Credit them — they never quit, they just kept on playing ... and got more and more confidence,” Trell said. “I never would have thought that they would score three, but I never thought we might have two off Casi [Rohr].
“It’s a tough loss, it’s grueling,” Trell said.
Trell’s bench came through for the Spartans in the sixth inning. With one out, pinch-hitter Kayleigh Huck doubled then scored when pinch-hitter Bethany Haddle doubled into the left-field corner to put Boardman ahead, 1-0.
With two outs, Danielle Petrus reached base on an error by third baseman Tilton that allowed Haddle to score.
“We are never afraid to go to the bench,” Trell said. “We go 12-13-14 deep on this team.”
The Spartans, who will play Canton McKinley on Tuesday in a Federal League make-up game, stranded 10 baserunners, including three in the first inning.
“We missed a few opportunities,” Trell said. “It didn’t script out the way we wanted it.”
The Spartans’ other seniors are catcher Marra Cercone, outfielder Sarah Maxwell and pinch-hitter Erin Schafer.