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McCoy's double ignites LaBrae rout
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LaBrae’s Jessica Buck (55) celebrates after scoring a run in a Division III regional semifinal on Thursday. Teammate Emily Dugan greets Buck. LaBrae defeated Ursuline, 10-2, and will meet Columbia Station at noon on Saturday.
By Tom Williams
MASSILLON
Given a second chance, LaBrae High junior shortstop Somer McCoy made the most of it.
In the Vikings’ 10-2 Division III regional semifinal victory over Ursuline at Massillon High on Thursday, the bases were loaded for McCoy’s second at-bat. With two outs in the second inning, the Vikings led 1-0 when McCoy fouled Makayla Shore’s second pitch high behind the plate.
Irish catcher Dana Creatore looked into the bright sun, was able to get her glove on the ball, but couldn’t hold it.
On the next pitch, McCoy doubled to deep center field, driving in three runs and igniting the Vikings’ romp.
“It was big relief,” McCoy said. “After that [close call], I knew I was going to rip it . During warm-ups, I was cracking the ball and I knew I was going to hit it.”
Ursuline’s nightmare inning continued when Jessica Buck doubled to score McCoy. She then came home on Kasey Rininger’s single for a 6-0 lead.
“When we were warming up, we were all pounding it,” Buck said. “Honestly, we just want to win so bad and that’s carrying us. There’s just so much more power on the ball and we’re all excited.
“I mean, I didn’t think we were going to hit that well, but we were really good today.”
McCoy also had a run-scoring double in the fifth inning. In all, the Vikings had 11 hits and coach Demetra Noble wasn’t surprised.
“We hit this morning, we hit when we got here and we hit during the game,” Noble said of her players’ preparedness and eagerness.
Errors were a factor as the Irish (20-10) committed five. The Vikings (18-8-1) took full advantage and are one win away from their second state trip in nine seasons. LaBrae will play Columbia Station (27-4) at noon on Saturday.
“This feels really good because I don’t want it to be over,” McCoy said. “I just love my team — I want to keep playing with them.”
The Irish connected off Vikings sophomore pitcher Emily Dugan for nine hits, but stranded nine baserunners.
Dugan said Thursday’s blistering temperatures weren’t a factor.
“I find the heat a motivation to me,” said Dugan, who admitted complacency was something the Vikings needed to avoid with an early big lead.
“I told them, ‘Don’t even look at that scoreboard — that scoreboard doesn’t matter a bit,’ ” Dugan said. “You have to play each inning your hardest because you never know when they can come back.”
Especially Ursuline, which overcame a 6-0 deficit in last week’s district semifinal against Newton Falls.
Shore (18-9) led the Irish at the plate with three singles while Creatore and Stephanie Ohalek doubled.