Stowsentry.com - Warrior softball shuts down Irish

by Dean Raymond

Correspondent

Cuyahoga Falls -- The battery of sophomore right-hander Corey Rubright and junior catcher Maria Simone was pretty impressive May 7 as the host Walsh Jesuit softball team defeated St. Vincent St. Mary 3-1.

Rubright (8-6) tossed a complete-game three-hitter with five strikeouts and just two walks while Simone was (1-for-3 on the day with a run scored) and called a great game behind the plate.

Walsh (12-8) scored first in the game when Simone tripled to deep centerfield to lead-off the bottom of the second inning and scored when the throw from the outfield to third base went out-of-play.

"I was waiting for something to drive," Simone said. "I saw it well and I hit it."

Lady Irish senior lefthander Katie Killian (6-8) also pitched a complete-game, allowing just four hits with four strikeouts and only two walks. No. 31 also helped her cause in the top of the sixth inning when she singled to right-centerfield with one out and scored on a two-out triple to deep rightfield off the bat of senior second baseman Olivia Mathews to knot the game at a run apiece.

The Lady Warriors came right back in the bottom of the sixth frame and scored twice to take a 3-1 lead. Freshman third baseman Kaleigh Cupka led-off with an infield single and stole second base with one out. A wild pitch moved Cupka to third base before Rubright walked and stole second. Simone came up next and lofted a fly-ball to medium deep leftfield. The ball was dropped by the Irish outfielder as Cupka and Rubright scored for a 3-1 Walsh Jesuit advantage.

Simone raced all the way to third base before sophomore Jacqui Endre pinch-ran for her. Killian then buckled down and recorded a strikeout and a groundout to get out of further trouble.

An error and a walk eventually put Lady Irish runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the seventh inning before Rubright fielded a come-backer to the mound and threw to first base to end the game.

"Maria (Simone) knows what she's doing," Rubright said. "She always knows what pitch I want to throw next."

Meanwhile, Lady Warrior head coach Larry Deeks took some credit for the victory.

"I moved Maria to the No. 5 spot in the batting order and it paid off," Deeks said. "I looked like a good coach today. It's always big when we play the Lady Irish. It's a good rivalry."

St. Vincent-St. Mary (8-12) committed two errors in the game while Walsh Jesuit had one miscue. The Lady Irish stranded five runners in the game while the Lady Warriors left four on the bases.

Walsh Jesuit had lost to the Irish 5-3 earlier in the season.

Walsh set to begin postseason

The Lady Warriors were set to start the post-season May 13 at home vs. Buchtel. If they win, Walsh Jesuit will host the winner of Revere-Streetsboro May 14 at 4:30 p.m.

The district semifinal is May 20 at Firestone Stadium at either 3:45 or 5:30. The District Championship is May 21 at Firestone Stadium at a time TBA.

The top four seeds are: Archbishop Hoban (No. 1), Tallmadge (No. 2), Walsh (No. 3) and Copley (No. 4).

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