Blue Devils are bridesmaids no more

May 22, 2014 at 12:06a.m.

LISBON

After finishing district runner-up the past two seasons, Western Reserve senior Gabby Stubbs flashed a golden smile after the Blue Devils softball team earned their first regional trip in seven years.

“I have so many silver medals at home, you know?” said Stubbs as she held her medal after Wednesday’s 6-2 victory over Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas. “I thought [it would be nice] to have a gold.”

It’s been a pretty successful senior year for Stubbs.

“We’ve been to the district finals in all the sports that I played,” said Stubbs, whose teams split in the first two title games.

Last October, St. Thomas Aquinas defeated Western Reserve in the Lisbon Division IV volleyball district final.

In March, the girls basketball team defeated Columbiana in the Division IV district tournament at Mineral Ridge.

Also on the basketball team were junior pitcher Aleah Hughes, junior shortstop Tory White and sophomore outfielder Sydney Miller.

“It’s crazy to think we’re finally overcoming an obstacle,” the senior center fielder said of two regional trips in two months. “To be in the top 16 in the state — that’s crazy to me.”

Western Reserve (20-2) will play a regional semifinal game against an opponent still to be determined from the Shelby district at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Kent State University.

Head coach Joe Serensky, who returned to the team after four years of coaching baseball, took the Blue Devils to the regional in 2005, ’06 and ’07.

Hughes (10-2) was dominant on the mound, scattering five hits while striking out 14 and walking one.

“We were a little intimidated,” Aquinas head coach Dennis Clunk said. “Historically, we’re a great hitting team. I don’t think we had 14 strikeouts all year.

“She’s one of the top three we’ve seen this year,” Clunk said. “She’s got great control, a great riseball. She gets ahead of you and then doesn’t give you anything to hit.

“She is clearly one of the best in the state.”

The Blue Devils jumped on the Knights (15-10) immediately, scoring twice in the first inning. After Stubbs led off with a walk, White hit a bloop single and Hughes reached on a fielder’s choice when a Knight infielder chose not to throw.

Marley Oles hit the ball through pitcher Emily Lair’s legs for a 1-0 lead and Maddie Kreitzburg brought White home with a fielder’s choice.

“We took advantage of their mistakes,” Serensky said.

An inning later, White singled to scored Miller for a 3-0 lead. Oles and Kreitzburg scored in the third inning with the help of a Knight error and April Lude’s RBI single.

Hughes carried a perfect game into the fourth inning. Lair drew a one-out walk and Rachel Hiestand singled. She needed 27 pitches to get out of the inning and 24 more in the fifth inning when the Knights scored twice.

“Definitely,” Hughes replied when asked if she was feeling pressure. “I knew the more times they were coming up, the more chances they had seeing me.

“It definitely was more nerve-wracking.”

She settled down in the sixth, allowing just two baserunners the rest of the game.

Oles, her catcher, was not surprised.

“She’s phenomenal, one of the best pitchers I’ve ever caught for,” said the senior who added that making a regional appearance hadn’t sunk in yet.

“It’s wonderful we’ve gone this far,” Oles said.