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McDonald gains experience in difficult regional trip
By Tom Williams
AKRON
Although their school’s first experience at a regional tournament didn’t end as they hoped, McDonald softball players Sierra Schrader and Bri Callow described playing in historic Firestone Stadium as awesome.
“It’s great, high energy,” said Callow, the Blue Devils’ sophomore pitcher. “It’s amazing.”
Schrader, the Blue Devils’ lone senior, said the ballpark “was a little intimidating, but I really enjoyed playing with my team on such a big field. There’s a lot of people up there.”
Callow and Schrader spoke not long after McDonald’s season ended with a 13-3 loss to Monroeville in Thursday’s Division IV semifinal. The game was tight, 4-3, until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Eagles scored nine times to end the game an inning early.
“They were a nervous wreck,” McDonald coach Michelle Titus said of her team of mostly underclassmen. Schrader and juniors Megan Ward and Cailey Titus were the only upperclassmen in the Blue Devils’ starting lineup.
“They didn’t play like they have this season,” Michelle Titus said. “You could just tell that nerves got the better of them.”
Monroeville (23-4) will play Jeromesville Hillsdale in Saturday’s regional final that has been moved up to a 2 p.m. start. The Division II regional final between Poland and Crestwood also has been moved up an hour to 11 a.m. because of a rainy forecast.
Hillsdale advanced with a 7-1 victory over Bristol (19-4) in the other semifinal.
McDonald (18-5) was district runner-up the past two season at the Candlelite Knolls district tournament.
“They should be proud of themselves,” Titus said. “I’m so glad that something like that is under our belt with [all but one] coming back next year.
“They’ll be stronger.”
The Eagles scored in the first inning when Jessica Hayes came home on a wild pitch.
The Blue Devils tied the game in the third inning when Ward singled, stole second base and scored on the first of Callow’s two RBI singles.
Pressure took its toll on the Blue Devils in the fourth inning. With two outs, the Eagles had runners at third and second base when Syd Meesler hit a ground ball to Schrader at second base.
Schrader’s throw home was not in time for a tag. Alex Carper followed with a two-run triple for a 4-1 lead.
“We knew that they had five slappers, so we worked on watching home,” Titus said. “She didn’t realize there were two outs.
“This is the first year she’s played second,” Titus said, adding that the move solidified the infield.
“I’d always played outfield since my freshman year,” Schrader said.
The Blue Devils scored a run in each of the fifth and sixth innings. Callow singled and courtesy runner Angelina Exline scored on Sarah Lorello’s RBI single to make it 4-2.
In their next at-bat, Chelsea Sudol reached base on a fielder’s choice then scored on Callow’s two-out single.
Ward’s other hit was a double.
Her softball career over, Schrader will attend Cleveland State in the fall to study health sciences.
“We weren’t expected to be here since we are so young,” Callow said. “It was crazy to even make it to regional. We’ll learn from it [to] just play harder, work on our defense.”