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Creatore has 3 hits, 4 RBIs in Ursuline win
By Doug Chapin
BAZETTA
Ursuline High softball and winning have been synonymous in recent seasons and that appears to be the case again in 2012. The Irish rapped out 11 hits Monday in winning their third straight contest, defeating Warren Harding, 12-2, at Candlelite Knolls.
The Irish won four consecutive district tournament titles beginning in 2006 and culminating in a state runner-up finish in 2009. Ursuline lost just two starters from a 15-9 squad a season ago which lost in the district title game.
“The success in the past is the foundation of the program. The kids know in the offseason they have to work hard,” coach Michael Kernan said. “This program wins whether we’re young or whether we’re trying to figure out our pitching. Whatever the situation they know our program is built around winning.
“We lost our first three games this year, we could have lost our first five. But either way we know our goal at the end is to get ourselves better and prepared for the tournament.”
The Irish used a seven-run second inning to overcome a 2-0 deficit against Harding (0-4). Key hits in the inning were a two-run single by Lea Carroll and a three-run double by sophomore Dana Creatore. The outburst backed a two-hit pitching performance by Erin Vukovich, one of only two seniors on the team.
“You can see the maturity in the whole team,” Kernan said. “We had five freshmen and a sophomore play their first year last year. I see them out here this year and they’re totally different players. You can see it on the field and it’s good to see these kids grow and mature in that manner.”
Ursuline (3-3) contributed to Harding’s two-run second inning with a pair of errors. Vukovich worked around seven walks and recorded four strikeouts.
“McKenzie Stimpert and Vukovich are both pitching for us this year. Both are doing a good job. We’ve played some pretty quality teams who get the bat on the ball,” Kernan said. “Our defense has been a little slow this year but they are starting to pick up the pace a little bit. We’ve been hitting the ball all year”
Creatore finished with three hits and four RBIs. Brianna Curd, the other senior, had two hits as did Stimpert, a sophomore, who finished with two RBIs as did Carroll and Jerica Day.
“Our goal every year is, if we’re in a league, league title. Then district championship, regional championship, every year those are our goals,” Kernan said. “This year we know we have some spots to fill, kids are going to work hard to earn them. We’re going to rotate kids around, they’re going to stay focused while playing quality opposition.”