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Lakeview rallies for title
Hubbard’s 3-run lead evaporated into walk-off win
By Dan Hiner
ALLIANCE
With the bases loaded and facing a 0-2 count in the bottom of the seventh inning, Lakeview’s Beatrice Titus hit a one-hopper to shortstop. The ball wasn’t fielded cleanly and Avery Steiner reached the plate at the same time as the throw to home.
As soon as the umpire yell “safe,” the Lakeview dugout erupted in cheers and screaming as the Bulldogs won Thursday’s Division II district final, beating Hubbard 4-3.
Titus finished the game 0-4 with a run scored, but she brought home the game-winning run.
“I was really close to the plate because I was afraid I was going to strike out,” Titus said. “When the pitch came, I saw it and hit it.”
Lakeview (16-9) had to claw back after a three-run inning by the Eagles in the top of the third inning. The Eagles scored all three runs with two outs.
Mikayla Smith got the ball rolling with a single. Emma Wukelich followed with an RBI triple to the right-field fence to drive in Smith.
After Addy Jarvis was hit with a pitch, Morgan Kist and Annie Zagorec drove in Wukelich and Jarvis on back-to-back RBI singles.
Smith finished the game 2-4 with a run scored and a stolen base. Kist and Zagorec both finished 1-3 with one RBI.
But Hubbard opened the door for a Bulldogs comeback in the bottom of the fourth inning. After recording the first out in the inning, the Eagles committed back-to-back errors — allowing Titus and McKenna Cannon to reach base.
With two outs, Lakeview pitcher Cait Kelm hit a line drive over the outstretched glove of Mikayla Smith in right field. The ball rolled to the fence and Titus and Cannon scored to cut the Eagle lead to 3-2.
The Bulldogs tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Steiner singled to left field, but the ball got past the outfielder and Steiner advanced to second base on the error.
After a fielder’s choice moved Steiner to third base, Samantha Marino hit a line drive to second base. The umpires ruled the ball hit the ground before being caught. Steiner scored on the play and the game was tied 3-3.
Marino, who went 2-4 with and RBI, said she was just trying to make contact to drive in the run and she wasn’t trying to do anything special.
“I was just trying to hit it and score the run,” Marino said. “Regardless of whether I got out or not, I just wanted to get that run in.”
Hubbard committed five errors and three of the Bulldogs runs were unearned.
Lakeview head coach Vicki Lawrence said she expected the game to come down to the wire based on the previous games the Bulldogs played against Hubbard the past few seasons.
“We knew it was going to be a good game,” Lawrence said. “We played Hubbard the past two or three years and it’s been one-run difference both ways.
“We split earlier this year and we knew this was coming down to the seventh inning.”
The Bulldogs will play on Thursday at in Akron against today’s winner between Akron SVSM and Akron Hoban.
“We’re pretty excited about this and we’re going to take one game at a time,” Lawrence said.