×

Clippers will have to wait

COLUMBIANA — With storm clouds on the horizon, Columbiana and Springfield breezed through three and a half innings in about a half hour Thursday at Firestone Park. Unfortunately, they couldn’t quite play fast enough to finish their marquee non-conference matchup.

Columbiana led 1-0 with one on and one out in the bottom of the fourth when the action was halted due to heavy rain. Lightning was spotted multiple times over the next half hour and the game was officially called around 6:10 p.m.

“We had just gotten through the top of their order, so I think we were in pretty good position,” Columbiana coach Jerry Beltempo said. “We did everything we needed to do to win. We just needed three more outs.”

Columbiana came into the game with a record of 18-0, while Springfield was 15-2 and ranked seventh in the Div. III state poll. Both coaches expressed a desire to make the game up, but are unsure if that will happen because both of their schedules are filled up.

“I’m disappointed we couldn’t finish it, these are two really good teams,” Springfield coach Bill Amero said. “If we both need a game around tournament time, hopefully we’ll get back together.”

Columbiana starter Marisa McDonough looked very sharp before the rain came, retiring the first 12 batters in order with five strikeouts. Columbiana got on the board in the first when Alexis Cross singled with two outs, stole second and hustled home on an RBI single to right by Kennedy Fullum.

“Marisa always throws well, but when she really wants to throw she does,” Beltempo said. “She was throwing really well tonight. That’s a really good hitting team over there.”

Thursday marked the beginning of a key stretch of Columbiana’s schedule as the Clippers begin to ramp up for postseason play.

Including Thursday’s game, five of Columbiana’s last nine games are against teams in their district with records above .500. Beltempo hoped the focus his team played with through the first three-and-a-half innings carries over.

“I’m looking for what I saw tonight,” Beltempo said. “We got good pitching, we got the bat on the ball and we made all of our defensive plays.”

Columbiana is back in action Monday at Crestview, while Springfield is at Western Reserve today.

Game Notes

• The tournament draw is Sunday and both teams are good bets to be highly seeded in the competitive Division III South Range district.

“We could be anywhere from one through four,” Beltempo said. “They’re probably going to look at us as having played a bunch of smaller schools, but when we have played bigger schools we’ve done well. This game would have went a long way for us.”

S: 0-0-0-0–0-0-1

C: 1-0-0-x–1-3-0

S–Josie Applegarth (3 1/3 IP, 1K, 0BB) and Cassie Bacon.

C–Marisa McDonough (4IP, 5K, 0BB) and Alexis Cross.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.39/week.

Subscribe Today