The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
The one that got away
Pioneers’ title defense falls just short after game-ending error
— Perrysburg coach Ryan DeMars on the game-winning run
Elyria displayed spectacular defense in every inning, at every position, but in the end the Pioneers could not make one last play as Perrysburg forced a walk-off error to down the defending Division I state champions, 1-0, in a Clyde Region semifinal on May 23.
Both pitchers dueled their way through 10 innings before thirdranked Perrysburg (29-2) manufactured the game’s first and only run.
With two outs and a runner on second base, the Yellow Jackets’ Kyle Griggs hit a fly ball to right field, allowing Marissa Thomas to tag up and head to third. The throw from right field to third base was dead on and the Pioneers nearly picked off Thomas, but the ball rolled free and by the time the Elyria defense recovered, Thomas was home.
“The ball came in and (Thomas) was sliding down, I saw the ball bounce and as soon as I saw it taking a move away from the base, (I thought) ‘ Hey, let’s go, let’s give this thing a shot,’” Perrysburg coach Ryan DeMars said.
“... as soon as I saw (the ball) taking a move away from the base, (I thought), ‘Hey, lets’s go, let’s give this thing a shot.’”
“We had good speed there on the bases and why not?” DeMars said.
“I wasn’t sure (the game) was ever going to end. But when you’re in a game like that, one little miscue, one little misdirection, something, can be the difference in the gameand fortunately it broke our way.”
The teams stranded a combined12base runners over the course of 10inningswith only six making it into scoring position, including a mere two for Elyria (25-5), thanks in large to bothteams’ outstanding defensive efforts.
ThePioneersmade ahandful of brilliant plays in the field to preserve the 0-0 tie, like Jessica Chapman snagging a hard-hit line drive at second base in the fourth inning or one of a pair of diving catches byDamia Parks inleft field. And when Perrysburg’s Brooke Miller led off the bottom of the seventh with a base hit, Elyria catcher Maycee Godbolt picked her off at first to ease some of the lategame pressure.
With stout defense being played on both sides and with pitchers like Izzie St. Peter (Elyria) and Bri Pratt (Perrysburg), both coaches knew one play would be the difference between continuing on in the postseasonandheadinghome for the year.
Turns out that play would be the game’s only error.
“Thatwas a great throwby our right fielder we just didn’t bring it in,” Elyria coach Ken Fenik said. “I knew the game was going to come down to something like that. Wemake one mistake. We make it on the wrong play.
“Wealwayspreachdefense. Weprobably spendmore time ondefense thanwedooffense. We figure defense can always keep you in the game and it did today. I mean, (Perrysburg) put the ball in play better than we did and then that one bounce.”
Pratt shut the Pioneers down at the plate virtually all game. In 10 innings, she allowed five hits and struck out 17 batters including eight on called third strikes.
“We played great defense but their pitcher just outdid us,” Elyria seniorAprilHowser said. “We couldn’t hit her. She pitched a fantastic game but we put up a good fight.
“She was throwing inside, outside, change-up, rise ball — she had it all.”
Though the eighth-ranked Pioneers’ state title defense fell a few games short, as far as Fenik’s concerned the team achieved everythinghehoped it would.
The rest was simply an added bonus.
“You can’t win your last gameall the time,” Fenik said. “I told them, ‘Don’t hang your heads.’ ... Me personally as a coach, I was wanting to win the conference and a district championship. Everything else was all gravy. We gave it our best shot and they were better than us today.”