Fullum’s HR has Clippers flying high

The Vindicator

Photo

Columbiana baserunner Hayley Goist, left, is tagged out by Mathews first baseman Maddie Grimes during Wednesday’s regional softball game at Kent State University. The Clippers rallied for an 11-9 victory.

By Tom Williams

williams@vindy.com

KENT

After watching her team squander a seven-run lead before forcing an extra inning, Columbiana’s Khylea Fullum went to the plate for the fifth time hoping to make contact and get on base.

Instead, Fullum connected solidly with the ball from Mathews’ Brittany Schnarrs, sending the 1-0 pitch over the left-center-field fence at the Kent State University softball field for a two-run homer that gave the Clippers an 11-9 victory in Wednesday’s Division IV regional semifinal.

“I swing for singles, always,” said Fullum after her fifth career homer, a school record. “I was just trying to get on base. Anything that comes after singles is obviously a gift.

“As soon as I hit it, I felt it was gone,” Fullum said. “It was a good feeling.”

Trailing 9-8 going to the seventh inning, Columbiana’s Dakota DeAmicis tied the game with a lead-off homer near the left-field foul pole.

“I thought it was going to be close [to going out], but usually when I hit those type they drop before the fence,” said DeAmicis after her second homer in two games.

The Clippers’ pitcher, DeAmicis said a 45-minute thunder delay in the second inning affected her.

“Because of the delay, we were lackadaisical,” DeAmicis said. “Well, I sort of was lackadaisical and it sort of ... avalanched to everybody else.”

Helped by three errors, the Clippers jumped on Schnarrs for three runs in the first inning and four more in the second.

Mathews coach Gene Chereder said the Clippers took advantage of five errors.

“And they hit the ball and we were slow [starting],” Chereder said.

Columbiana coach Bonnie Wilkinson said, “We played so well those first couple of innings, then we came out flat and let them back in the game.

“But then we had a couple of really good hits.”

The Mustangs (10-6) climbed back with a five-run third inning that included six hits and a dropped flyball in the outfield that scored two runs.

Maddie Grimes’ bases-loaded double in the fourth inning put the Mustangs ahead, 8-7.

After Claire Brothers’ RBI double tied the game in the fifth inning, Schnarrs responded with a double that sent Jackie Rhine home after a throwing error.

“We just needed to get our focus back, get our bats going [again],” Fullum said.

Columbiana shortstop Hayley Goist felt redemption with her eighth inning infield hit that set up Fullum’s homer. Goist’s fifth-inning at-bat ended a rally when she tried to squeeze home Brothers from third base. Her bunt was fielded by first baseman Grimes who tagged Goist and then threw to catcher Hollie Shreves for a double play.