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Hoover maintains dominance; Boardman falls in regional
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Boardman's Brooke Meenachanreacts to watching North Canton Hoover celebrate after beating Boardman 3-0 to win the regional final.
By Tom Williams
AKRON
The third time was anything but charming for the Boardman High softball team in Saturday’s Division I regional final at the University of Akron.
Playing in their third straight regional championship contest, the Spartans were trying to qualify for their first state tournament berth since 2002.
But Federal League rival North Canton Hoover was too much for the Spartans to overcome. Behind Ashley Hall’s five-hit shutout, the Vikings (26-3) defeated the Spartans, 3-0, for their third win over Boardman this season. Hall struck out 10 batters and walked none.
“She’s pretty crafty at what she does and it kept us off-balance,” Boardman coach Mike Trell said of Hall (16-1) who also pitched in a 7-2 regular-season win. “When we thought fastball, she came with the drop-curve.
“And when she came with the drop-curve, she threw a fastball,” said Trell whose teams have been regional runners-up in his three seasons as Boardman head coach. “She did the same thing the last time we played her.
“She pretty much shut our bats down,” Trell said. “We didn’t adjust very well throughout the whole game.”
In the regular season, Hoover (26-3) also defeated the Spartans, 3-0.
The Spartans’ (17-10) best chance to score on Saturday came in the fifth inning when Alex DeFabio and Kayleigh Huck hit back-to-back two-out singles. Julie Olbrych’s flyout to right field ended the threat.
An inning later, heads-up baserunning by Spartans senior Brooke Meenachan gave the Spartans another chance.
As Vikings catcher Erika Warren caught a foul pop-up near the backstop, Meenachan tagged up at first base and advanced. But she was stranded when Hall retired Alex DiDomenico on an infield popout.
“We had five hits, but at the end of the day, one girl had two of them,” said Trell of Huck, his number-eight batter. “We really didn’t hit the ball consistently.”
The Vikings struck first with two outs in the third inning. After Jenna Lilley singled, Warren doubled to deep center field for a 1-0 lead.
In the fifth inning, Ally Farrah singled and advanced when DiDomenico walked Mackenzie DiPietro. Second baseman Missy DeMarinis dove to slow down a hit by Lilley, but Farrah raced home with the Vikings’ second run.
With two outs, Rachel Harris singled to score DiPietro but Lilley was cut down at the plate on Danielle Petrus’ throw from center field to catcher Bethany Haddle.
“Hoover is a good team,” Trell said. “They beat us now a third time and I’m hoping they win a state championship and bring it back to the Federal League.”
Seven Spartan seniors played their final varsity game — DiDomenico (Ohio State), Meenachan (Youngstown State), Haddle, DeMarinis, Olybrych, Julie Sokol and Shannon Witte.
“The seniors have meant a tremendous amount to this program,” Trell said. “We’re sad to see them go.”