Six-run inning carries Warriors to Prebis victory

Fairview used a sixrun fifth inning to outlast Elyria Catholic, 11-9, in a matchup full of offensive fireworks on April 27 at Wellington Community Park during the Prebis Memorial Classic.

After both teams lit up the scoreboard in the first four innings, including a towering fourth-inning two-run home run from Elyria Catholic’s Kaylie Griffin, the Panthers (6-6) took a 7-5 lead into the bottom of the fifth.

That’s when the Warriors (8-4) erupted for six runs, including a pair of two-run singles, snatching back momentum.

“They kept fighting, they didn’t give up,” Warriors coach Darrin Laughlin said. “We were down early, I mean coming out down, 4-0, right away, that’s not easy to do. They did a good job of fighting the whole game.”

The big rally began when Fairview’s Maddie Petrenko reached home on a Panthers wild throw to second, cutting the lead to 7-6.

Gina Houle and Lizzy Williams capitalized with a pair of two-run singles. The inning culminated with a Lauren Beitz’s RBI single.

Williams, who finished with three RBI, was happy to help her teammates, and be a part of the momentum-shifting inning.

“I think I grounded out twice before that, and my teammates were going out there and just helping me with my confidence,” Williams said. “I just had to go out there and just hit the ball. I wasn’t worried about getting a big hit. … I was just trying to get on base.”

The clutch performance by his team against stellar competition is something that Laughlin hopes will help them continue to grow.

“These girls need this experience,” Laughlin said. “Most of my girls are sophomores, so down the road, we are going to be even tougher than we are right now.”

Laughlin was proud of his girls for recognizing when to be aggressive and when not to swing.

“We talk about it all the time,” Laughlin said. “We just have to avoid the stuff that is over our head, or in the dirt. But when you see something be aggressive and stay after it. Don’t just back off because she walked a few people in front of you.”

Petrenko (6-0) held off the Panthers just enough, finishing with five strikeouts.

The Panthers tried to rally with a Meghan Allegretto’s two-run single in the top of the sixth, cutting the lead to 11-9. But it was too little, too late.

“It was an off day for pitching and defense for sure,” Panthers coach Megan Bashak said.

Elyria Catholic’s Ashley Cascio (4-6) struggled to command her pitches all evening, giving the Warriors new life after the Panthers quickly jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first.

Cascio allowed 10 walks, a tough statistic for any pitcher to overcome.

“Ashley wasn’t hitting her pitches like she usually was,” Griffin, her catcher said. “When Ashley is hitting her pitches and we’re hitting, it’s going to be a better game.”