Champion one win from a perfect season

Photo by: The Vindicator/David Dermer

Photo

The Champion softball team is one game away from a perfect season and a Division III state title thanks in part to ace Lindsay Swipas, who pitched the Flashes to a 5-2 win over the Clear Fork Colts in the semifi nal game Thursday at Akron Firestone Stadium.

By Tom Williams

williams@vindy.com

AKRON

After 31 straight victories, Clear Fork coach Jeff Gottfried believed his softball team was as strong as any in the Division III state tournament.

But after Thursday’s 5-2 loss to unbeaten Champion, Gottfried revised his opinion.

“Absolutely, they were better,” said Gottfried of the Flashes (26-0) who advanced to the state title game for the second time in six seasons.

Champion ace Lindsay Swipas (17-0) scattered five hits, struck out 11 and walked one to lead the Flashes (26-0). She ended the game by striking out the final five Colts batters.

“It’s so exciting,” Swipas said of Saturday’s title game against Liberty Union (27-2). “We’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.

“We’ve been talking about it all year so being there, knowing we have a chance to be first is really exciting.”

The top of the Champion batting lineup was too much for Clear Fork (31-1), going 10 of 16 against Taylor Thomas.

Haley McAllister’s three hits included a triple that put Champion ahead for good and she scored three runs. Swipas and Tawny Rogers each had two hits while Sierra Blackson’s RBI double highlighted Champion’s three-run third inning. Alison Sorber drove in two runs with a single and seventh-inning sacrifice fly.

“That’s probably the hardest Taylor’s been hit all year,” Gottfried said. “They were roping it.”

Defensively, catcher Taylor Petersal helped Swipas out of a jam when she threw a strike to shortstop Rogers to catch Emily Swank trying to steal in the fourth inning.

“We’ve been seeing it most of the year,” Champion coach Cheryl Weaver said. “In the big games, these girls have really stepped it up.”

McAllister said playing in the state’s final game, “was our first goal from our first practice.

“We all said we wanted to be at the state championship game and here we are,” the Flashes’ second baseman said. “It’s so thrilling to be here.”

In the first inning, McAllister singled and scored on Rogers’ base hit. Clear Fork tied the game when Katie Palmer walked and came home on Morgan Ruhl’s two-out double.

The Flashes seized control with a three-run third inning triggered by McAllister’s leadoff triple. Center fielder Jenna Jones bobbled the ball before right-fielder Macey Ruhl’s throw went into the Clear Fork dugout as McAllister reached third.

Confusion reigned for a moment, as McAllister was tagged out at home until umpire Steve Cherry ruled a dead ball and sent McAllister home.

“I sent her and I know she thought, ‘Oh, I’m out,’” Weaver said. “But I saw it go in their dugout and I saw the umpire [signal] dead ball so I thought ‘We’re good.’”

The Flashes weren’t finished. Swipas singled and scored on Blackson’s double for a 3-1 lead. Alison Sorber’s two-out single scored Blackson for a three-run lead.

“It was really hard to pitch around the [top of the order] — I give them props,” Thomas said. “They were tremendous hitters.”

After Thomas hit a sacrifice fly to score Jones in the third inning, the lead went back to three in the seventh inning on Sorber’s sacrifice fly that brought home McAllister.

“Usually as the game goes on, I tend to pitch stronger,” said Swipas who needed 24 pitches to get out of the first inning. “I don’t now if it’s just momentum but that’s the way it seems to be.”

Gottfried was impressed.

“We’ve been scoring runs all year so for her to do what she did to our offense, I tip my hat to her,” Gottfried said. “She gave up one big hit and it was in the first inning.

“After that, she shut us down. Anytime you can hold [Thomas] hitless, that’s a heckuva job.”