Defending champ Walsh Jesuit ousts Canfield

May 25, 2017 at 12:05a.m.

By FRED CAY

Akron Beacon Journal

AKRON

A little rain — even more than a little resulting in a delay at one point — and some long innings in the field couldn’t disrupt Walsh Jesuit’s march to another Akron Division I regional final on Wednesday afternoon.

A three-run first inning provided some breathing room and the defending state champion Warriors rolled to an 8-0 victory over Canfield at the University of Akron, setting up a showdown against North Canton Hoover, a 5-2 winner over Madison in the second game, at noon Saturday with a state tournament berth on the line.

Uncharacteristic wildness from ace senior right-hander Madi McCrady forced Walsh (20-6) to survive five innings with multiple Cardinal base-runners. Still, none of them managed to cross the plate.

“We could not get a key hit when we needed it,” Canfield head coach Ray Melewski said, noting the Cardinals (21-6) stranded 12 baserunners. “We had runners in scoring position.”

McCrady (17-3) walked nine but survived all seven innings thanks to allowing only three hits and striking out 10. The walks and her 143 pitches were career highs.

“That’s almost two games,” McCrady said of the pitch total. “The rain really threw me off. My arm’s kind of feeling not right today. Wasn’t having a very good day.”

Melewski agreed rain was a problem, noting that the grounds crew was constantly applying Quick-Dri before the delay.

“Jill Baker almost split herself in half trying to get to first,” Melewski said.

Senior starter Bridget Durkin was lifted in the fifth inning when a line drive struck her leg. Melewski said she wasn’t hurt badly but will have a good-sized bruise to show.

Freshman Kaili Gross replaced Durkin.

Six other seniors played their final varsity game: Jenna Gibson (first base), Maura Kennedy (second base), Savannah Maass (right field), Ally Sammarco (center field), Ally Lambert (left field), Sydney Lambert (catcher).

“We have a lot of holes to fill next year,” Melewski said. “This was a great senior class, a great groupto be around.”

Canfield had at least one runner on base every inning. But the Cardinals had few well-struck balls and McCrady finished off four innings with strikeouts.

McCrady also collected three singles in four at-bats with a first-inning RBI infield hit and courtesy runner Veronica Zack scored two runs after her hits.

Emma Lawson tripled leading off the Walsh first and Kristen Kuhrt walked. McCrady’s infield hit scored one and with two outs, Marisa Cartellone’s infield single chased home two more runs for a 3-0 lead.

The rain delay halted play for 35 minutes after Angelina Bobish doubled and Alexandra Drake singled to start the third inning. After play resumed, Cartellone grounded out on the first pitch but got her third RBI as Bobish scored the fourth run.

“It’s not really hard for us to come back, we just have to stay focused,” said Bobish. “With this team it’s just ‘start again.’”

Bobish, a senior left fielder, reached base three times on a double, walk and a fifth-inning single which knocked out Durkin (13-4).

“I felt really bad,” said Bobish. “She was a great pitcher. It was just a hard hit.”