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CHAMPION-LIKE: Gardiner, Swipas lead Flashes
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Champion’s Haylee Gardiner (22) connects for a hit in the bottom of the third inning of Wednesday’s softball game against Mathews in Champion. The Golden Flashes blasted the Mustangs, 15-0, behind Gardiner, who cracked a three-run home run in the first inning, and teammate Lindsay Swipas, who tossed a five-inning, 12-strikeout no hitter.
Gardiner, Swipas lead Flashes
By Doug Chapin
CHAMPION
What looked on paper to be an exciting midseason high school softball match turned out not to be the case Wednesday afternoon, as senior ace Lindsay Swipas threw a five-inning, 12-strikeout no-hitter and Champion High blasted Mathews, 15-0.
The Golden Flashes (8-1), the defending state champions in Division III, were ranked seventh in the first weekly state softball poll. Mathews, which has won two straight district titles, came into the contest with a record of 13-2.
The anticipated matchup of Swipas and freshman ace Cheyenne Eggens did not materialize when Mathews coach Jim Nicula chose to start junior Jessica Marsico on the mound.
“We expected to face Eggens, that’s what we thought,” Champion coach Cheryl Weaver said. “But I understand they’ve been pitching her in a lot of their games, I’m not sure. We were looking forward to it. Still I think Lindsay showed she could handle the hitters. It might have been a pitchers duel, but who can say.”
Nicula and the Mustangs left before he was asked about the decision to rest Eggens.
Freshman Haylee Gardiner, hitting in the third spot in the order, put the Flashes on the scoreboard quickly with a three-run home run and Champion added three more runs in the first inning.
The hosts scored four runs in the second frame and five in the third. Champion had 12 hits in the game and benefited from seven Mathews errors.
“When she came in, when we started practicing, we said, ‘My word, this girl can hit the ball,’” Weaver said about Gardiner. “Every game you keep seeing her get better. She has power and she sees the ball well. She doesn’t strike out, she knows the zone. We’re very lucky to have her.”
Swipas, meanwhile, retired the first two Mathews hitters on a popout and groundout, then struck out seven in a row. Following a walk to start the fourth inning, Swipas fanned five of the last six hitters.
“Lindsay is 8-0 and seven of them are shutouts,” Weaver said. “One is a one-hitter and now she has a no-hitter. She’s a year older and it makes a world of difference, she’s so focused.”
Though Wednesday’s contest was not what the Flashes hoped for in terms of competition, Champion has beefed up its schedule in order to prepare for the 2012 tournament.
The Flashes will travel the weekend of April 27-28 to LaGrange for the Prebis Memorial Classic where Champion will face Walsh Jesuit, Columbus DeSales and Copley.
“We do have a tougher schedule. We’re going to LaGrange Keystone and we’re going to be playing Columbus DeSales, Copley, who is very good, and Walsh Jesuit,” Weaver said. “We’re going to North Ridgeville this year, we’re playing Madison. We’re playing a lot of schools we’ve never played before and bigger schools, and that’s what we want.”