South Range slips past Crestview for district title

May 17, 2019 at 12:05a.m.

Two-time defending state

champs next for S. Range

BEAVER TOWNSHIP

Jillian Strecansky’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth inning gave South Range a 4-3 victory over Crestview in a Division III district final Friday at the South Range softball field.

The win marked the sixth district title in the Raiders’ program history — their first since 2016 when they finished as Division III state runners-up.

“Coach [Donee] Feren told me just get the ball in the air and in the outfield, and Drew [Feren] will score,” Strecansky said. “Then, [head] coach [Jeff] DeRose told me don’t hit me a fly ball, I need it on the ground. I didn’t know what I was going to do, I’m just glad that it all worked out.

“Drew slid under the tag and that ended up winning the game for us.”

The Raiders (20-9) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Marlaina Slabach led off with a single, later scoring the initial run of the game on an infield throwing error.

They increased their lead to 3-0 in the fourth frame on Reagan Irons’ two-out, two-run double.

“We were playing good defense and I was just hoping we would continue that through the final three innings,” added Irons, a freshman. “I was just hoping to put the ball in play and force them to make mistakes.

“It’s an amazing feeling to win the district and move on to regionals. I still want to play and we’re all glad to get that opportunity once again next week.”

Raiders pitcher Bree Kohler had a no-hitter through the first five innings, facing just three batters over the minimum while enjoying a 3-0 advantage.

With two away, four straight hits by the Rebels, including a run-scoring single by Skyler Mattern and a two-run double by Baylie Bettura knotted the game at 3-3.

“When they scored those three runs, I wasn’t really nervous about it because in my head I knew we were going to have to work hard it was going to be a fight,” said Kohler, who scattered five hits.

“We work so well as a team and I really felt we would get a run in our half of the sixth inning.”

Kohler’s excellent selection from her repertoire of pitches led to a game-high eight strikeouts.

“My rise ball was really working for me. They chased the high stuff,” she said. “I also relied on my screwball and change-up and that kept them off their feet. Really, all of my pitches were working for me today.”

The Rebels (22-7) were playing in their first ever district title tilt, looking to advance to the program’s initial regional.

“We talk every game that we cannot give our opponents an extra out and we did just that today,” Crestview head coach Greg Eskra said. “Good teams like South Range take advantage of that.

“I’m so proud of these kids. Where we’ve been to where we are today makes me very happy for them. They deserved to be here fighting for a district championship.”

South Range will play Champion — which has won back-to-back state titles — in a regional semifinal at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Massillon Washington High School.

The Raiders defeated the Golden Flashes during their state runner-up run in 2016.

“Our girls never give up,” DeRose said. “After being up 3-0, teams sometimes tend to let their guard down, so when they scored those three runs to tie the game we didn’t let our guard down.

“We came back, got that one run and then held them in the seventh inning. We’ll go up to Massillon and probably play the best team in the state. We beat them before and we can beat them again.”