43
Win, lose & tie: Second All-Star game ends in draw
Second All-Star contest ends deadlocked
By Tom Williams
YOUNGSTOWN
Shades of Selig! Another All-Star game has ended in a (gasp) tie.
This time, it was all in fun. In the second game of Tuesday’s Bill Sferra Softball Classic, Trumbull County’s seniors jumped out to six-run lead before Mahoning rallied to tie.
After a scoreless eighth inning, the game was declared a draw at 8-8.
Asked if she can remember a game ending in a stalemate, Boardman’s Myiah Mitchum reflected then said, “Maybe in a travel ballgame.”
Like Mitchum, most of the seniors playing in the doubleheader at Youngstown State University’s softball complex have played in time-limit travel games where ties aren’t uncommon.
Mahoning won the opener, 9-5. Poland’s Kristyn Svetlak and Canfield’s Amelia Manenti — archrivals throughout their varsity careers — powered Mahoning.
Svetlak drove in three runs. Ursuline’s Megan Ross scored the first run when Svetlak smacked a line drive off the glove of Trumbull third baseman Skyler Gilanyi (LaBrae) for a double.
Svetlak hit a two-run single an inning later.
Batting behind her in the lineup, Manenti had three hits including a RBI double. She twice brought home Svetlak.
“Being big rivals, it’s kind of funny how we ended up being together,” Svetlak said.
Svetlak and Manenti will be attending Kent State University in the fall. With her softball career over, Manenti said she felt a mixture of relief and sadness.
“I’m happy that I’ve had so much [playing],” Manenti said. “I’m sad that it ends. It was fun that all of us can come together instead of being rivals, that we can be friends and work together.”
Canfield’s Kayla Troxil allowed one run and three hits in the three innings she pitched. Fitch’s Alex Franken and Sebring’s Sydney Smith combined to pitch the final four innings.
Ross drove in two runs while Nikki Malkovits (Ursuline) and Kat Wilson (Poland) had the others.
For Trumbull, Jenna Ballas (Newton Falls) had three hits including a double. Meredith Grimes (Mathews) tripled while Kasey Rininger (LaBrae) had two hits.
In the second game, Trumbull took a 4-0 lead in the first inning with the help of two errors, a Ballas double and a RBI single by Ashlyn Slusher (Bristol).
Slusher hit a three-run double in the third inning for a 7-1 lead.
Mahoning batted around to score six runs to tie the game in the fourth inning. Sydney Miller (Western Reserve), Ross, Mitchum, Jami DiFabio (Cardinal Mooney) and Sydney Aey (Boardman) contributed RBI hits.
Svetlak, who pitched the fourth through seventh innings of the second game, didn’t mind the finish.
“It’s kind of nice that all of us who aren’t playing travel ball or in college can end not on a loss,” Svetlak said. “Both teams got to end on a positive note.
“It was definitely fun meeting so many new people and playing with them,” Svetlak said. ”It was really fun.”
Mitchum, who was Svetlak’s catcher, agreed.
“It’s cool to be able to come together,” said Mitchum, who will play for YSU next season.