April 28, 2000

Softball games

Short game, solid pitching lift Tornadoes

Columbian used its short game and solid pitching Thursday to upend Shelby 2-1 in Northern Ohio League action.

The Tornadoes (8-2 overall, 6-2 NOL) broke a scoreless tie in the second.

Kristin Say singled and was replaced by Stephanie Crabill, who advanced to third on two wild pitches before Jess Sharp singled her home.

Columbian's next run came in the fourth when Lisa Hess singled, moved to third on Say's other single on the day and came home on April Vanover's sacrifice fly.

Shelby (8-9, 6-3) halved that lead in the sixth, but the Tornadoes regrouped from there to get the victory.

Hess ended with two singles and Kristin Seitz added a single for the Tornadoes.

"The nice thing was we didn't fall apart after two huge errors in a row. We didn't let them score," Columbian coach Mike Hampp said. "It helps when you get good pitching and defense, like we have been."

Erin Rupp moved to 5-1 on the mound after surrendering just two hits and fanning eight.

The Tornadoes host Norwalk today.

Kochel, Chapman guide Tigers

ATTICA &emdash; Laurie Kochel and Holly Chapman each drove in a pair of runs Thursday to help Seneca East power its way past Crestline 9-1.

Both Tigers (8-4) had two singles, while Kelly King added a double, single and RBI.

Cassie Holmer drove in a run with two singles, Carissa Thompson and Kristy Rucker both lined an RBI single and Julie Bumb singled.

Seneca East jumped on top with a run in the bottom of the first, then added four more in the second on the way to the victory.

Joleen Williams (2-2) picked up the win.

The Tigers travel to Mansfield St. Peter's today.

Stockaders rock Wynford

OLD FORT &emdash; Old Fort's Erin Rau was 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles, two runs and an RBI, and also got the win on the mound as the Stockaders clobbered Wynford, 15-4.

Rau improved to 9-2, and Old Fort is now 10-3. She struck out six and did not walk a batter in four innings. Jenny Seigley threw the final three innings, striking out two and walking one.

The Stockaders scored three runs in the third inning to take a 4-2 lead and never trailed again, putting up seven more runs in the fourth and four in the sixth. Old Fort pounded out 16 hits, including two doubles by Rosy Ortiz, doubles by Seigley, Rachel McCalla and Lauren Lee and a triple by Cassandra Frankart.

"We really hit the ball well tonight," Old Fort coach Ron Rau said. "That's as well as we've hit the ball all year. The girls looked like they had a little bit of fun tonight."

Old Fort got two hits each from Ortiz (two runs, RBI), McCalla (two runs, RBI) and Jenice Egbert (two runs). Webb and Seigley (RBI) had a hit and two runs each and Lee and Frankart had a run and two RBIs apiece. Donnie White (run), Megan Leemaster and Abby Kingsborough singled, and Nicole Baker scored a run.

Old Fort is at Bettsville away.

Big innings drain Calvert

Calvert was limited to three hits and fell to 9-6 with a 14-0 loss to Huron (11-5).

"We had eight errors besides our mental errors, and it just wasn't a good night," said Calvert coach Bob Grothaus, whose team faces Sandusky St. Mary's at Seneca East at noon in the sectional semifinals Saturday.

"Maybe it's good that we get a game like this out of the way before the tournament. They had a terrific pitcher who got 16 strikeouts, and we just weren't in the game tonight for some reason."

Audra Lewis, Natasha Carpenter and Ashley Hepp rapped singles for the Senecas. Carpenter (1-3) took the pitching loss, striking out three and walking 10.

Huron scored five runs in the first, two in the second, five in the sixth and two in the seventh.

Mohawks fall in 11 innings to Van Buren

VAN BUREN &emdash; Casey England legged out an 11th-inning triple and Trista Powell singled her home to lift Van Buren to a 2-1 win Thursday over St. Wendelin.

Both teams plated a run in the third inning, with St. Wendelin's Kristy Shumaker scoring on Stacie Radcliff's single while Van Buren got an RBI single from Lish Montgomery to chase home Casey England.

Amanda Poling struck out 10 over 11 innings to earn the win for the Knights (10-3). She also had two singles.

Melanie Saunders fell to 4-7 for the Mohawks after pitching the last 1 1/3 innings. She entered in relief of Lisa Cool, who went the first nine innings.

Nicole England lined two singles for Van Buren, Casey England also had two singles, Montgomery ended with two singles and Sara Poling and Stacy Sattler each hit a single.

Shumaker doubled and lined two singles for the Mohawks (8-9) while Allicia Lawrence and Amanda Cramer hit a single each.

"It was a nice game. I can't complain about the defensive and pitching efforts," St. Wendelin coach Theresa Webb said. "I thought the pitchers did a very good job."

St. Wendelin will tangle with Fremont St. Joseph in the Division III sectional at Old Fort on Monday.

Arlington blanks NR

ARLINGTON &emdash; Jen Main allowed New Riegel only three hits, and Emily Yates did much of the work at the plate for Arlington as the Red Devils topped the Blue Jackets, 11-0.

Yates was 4-for-4 with two runs, three RBIs and a double for the winners. Main struck out 10 and walked two. Arlington scored five runs apiece in the first and fifth innings.

Erin Mack, Steph Lucius and Megan Kiesel singled for New Riegel, which fell to 5-8. Dawn Kirian took the loss, getting three strikeouts and three walks in four innings, and Mack and Stephanie Schalk pitched an inning each.

Ross gets best of FHS

FREMONT &emdash; Fremont Ross pounded out 13 hits and limited Fostoria to three in an 8-1 Great Lakes League win over the Redmen.

Fostoria fell to 9-5 overall and 1-5 in the GLL. Ashley Correll took the pitching loss, striking out two and walking three in 5 1/3 innings. Tatum Hernandez also pitched. Courtney Abbott was the winning pitcher, fanning 10 and walking one in a complete game effort for Ross.

Heather Harman tripled and singled for Fostoria, and Michelle Lykins had the other hit, an RBI single.

For the Little Giants, Tiffany Nitschke tripled and singled and Ashleigh Horn doubled twice.

Fostoria scored in the top of the third for a 1-0 lead, but Ross scored four in the bottom of the inning.