The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Players take a bow in Salute to Seniors
Pair of games features in Elyria features 14 Lorain County schools
After having their final season wiped away by the COVID-19 shutdown, 48 area seniors took one final bow June 15 at the Salute to Seniors event in Elyria.
Players from 14 Lorain County schools came together to play two games in front of their family and friends at Vic Janowicz park.
For many it was their first softball action in months.
“The last time I played organized softball was our scrimmage against Amherst, which was our first and last one,” Marlie McNulty said. “Other than that I’ve been doing hitting and stuff. This past weekend I finally got to go out with my travel team. So that was really exciting, but this was the first thing with Keystone.”
McNulty was a part of team Alcorn, coached by Cavaliers play-by-play announcer Tim Alcorn, which played in the first game of the evening.
McNulty was joined by four of her Keystone teammates on Team Alcorn, Alexis Bowen, Emma Miller, Angel Minisall and Allisssa Boraggina.
“It was just so exciting, because the game at that point didn’t matter,” McNulty said. “It was just like memories and friends.
“I met new people and that was probably my favorite part of all of this.”
Team Alcorn took the first game after jumping to a 7-0 lead on four firstinning runs, followed by a home run from Elyria’s Maycee Godbolt. Both Godbolt and McNulty are committed to play at Bowling Green next spring.
The second game was dominated by pitching, as Midview’s Alexis Qualls struck out seven consecutive batters in the first three innings.
Qualls pitched all seven innings for her team, giving up four runs and taking the loss. But for Qualls and the rest of the players that took part in the event, it wasn’t about the outcome of the game.
“It was an amazing experience, it was just so much fun to get together with all the other girls. To come together like a family,” she said. “I had fun and we just made sure that we had fun and took nothing too seriously.
Avon Lake’s Paige Schwark, who was one of
“It was an amazing experience, it was just so much fun to get together with all the other girls. To come together like a family. I had fun and we just made sure that we had fun and took nothing too seriously.” — Midview’s Alexis Qualls
four Shoregals in the nightcap, led off the second game with an inside-the-park home run.
“It felt pretty good. Honestly
I’m not really a leadoff batter,” Schwark said. “But it just felt good to hit a ball and to get back with everybody. I’m just glad that even with people who would normally be our opponents on our team, we were able to play together well as a team.”
Schwark, much like Qualls, was just happy to be out there one last time after her unique senior year.
“Don’t take it for granted,” she said. “You step on the field because you love the game and it really proves that you should play every game like it’s your last.