CONNEAUT —
The Conneaut 11- and 12-year-old All-Stars got off to exactly the opposite start from the one they wanted in the District 1 championship game against Grand Valley on Monday at Skippon Park. They righted the ship quickly and cruised to a 13-5 victory, earning a berth at the state tournament.
Conneaut will play in Tallmadge on Friday.
Conneaut used a seven-run fifth and three-run sixth to settle things.
“We had just played a tight ball game with them last Thursday night,” Conneaut manager Mike Hatch said. “We know they are a good team, so our goal tonight was to try to jump on them early. We did just the opposite.”
Down, 4-3, entering the top of the fifth, Conneaut loaded the bases with nobody out on two singles and a walk. The tying run came home when Tully Taylor hit a ball that proved too hot to handle at shortstop. After a strikeout, Kayla Malone walked, again with the bags loaded, breaking the tie. An error at first base brought home another run with the bases remaining jammed.
Erika Hatch promptly broke the Grand Valley backs with a cannon shot to the fence in left-center for a three-run double.
Three more Conneaut runs in the sixth, capped by Kelsey Burdette's two-run single, pretty much closed the issue, although Grand Valley threatened in the bottom of the sixth.
“I told the girls after Grand Valley jumped on us early that there is no backup on this team,” Mike Hatch said.
Having fumbled their way through a four-run, five-error first inning, Conneaut got going in a big way, playing errorless ball the rest of the way. Add to it some timely hitting, and it’s safe to say the job was done.
“I knew we could come back after that first inning,” Burdette, the winning pitcher, said. “We have a good team, so I thought we’d be OK.”
Burdette retired five in a row after Grand Valley jumped out to that early lead.
A dropped fly ball to right off the bat of Leah Patterson set the table for Grand Valley on the first pitch of the game. After a strikeout, a bouncer up the middle was thrown away for the first run. Dani Shreve ripped a grounder between the legs of the third baseman, and, as the left fielder went, for the ball, it happened again, scoring the second run and putting Shreve at third. Abby Triskett ripped a single to center for the first GV hit. After Triskett stole second, Megan Moodt singled to bring home the fourth run.
Until the bottom of the sixth, however, when Triskett drilled a double down the left-field line with one out, the gang from Orwell mustered only one other base runner. Sam Jeavons blooped a single to left leading off the third.
Jessie Volkman led the Conneaut attack with a trio of singles. Erika Hatch had two hits and drove home three, Celeste English Williams had a pair of hits, including a triple to lead off the second, and she scored twice, as did Hatch and Kayla Malone.
Burdette recovered superbly after that first inning. She allowed six hits, fanned eight, and maybe most importantly of all, did not walk a batter in sending her team on to the next step.
“I'm proud of the girls,” Hatch said. “Was I nervous after that first inning? Yes! Was I confident? Yes!”
His confidence paid off.
Grand Valley manager Tammy Moodt, while disappointed with the loss, felt positive about her team.
“They (Conneaut) just made the plays today against us,” she said. “They're a very good team. We had that one bad inning that killed us. We started to rush ourselves a little trying to make plays. This is a good group of girls, though, so I would not be surprized to see them regroup and come back to this level again next year.”
Grand Valley simply came up short, but they did it with grace and class.
“I just wish them good luck at state,” Brittany Cooper said.
Sadie Montgomery agreed.
“They're a good team, so I hope they do well at state,” she said. “This is the third year in a row we played them now in the championship game, so we just need to work harder.”
Kelly is a freelance writer from Jefferson.
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