Softball Insider: Falcons fly back into contention

Star Beacon

May 12, 2008 01:39 am

— The tagline promo for the great 1978 horror film by the legendary George C. Romero — “Dawn of the Dead” (the original, not the cheesy remake — went, “When there’s no more room in (heck), the dead will walk the earth.”
Well, strictly in a softball sense, with emphasis strictly on the word “strictly,” the Jefferson Falcons were dead in terms of the Northeastern Conference title chase after Monday’s deflating 6-0 loss at six-time defending champion Edgewood.
That loss put the Falcons two games behind the Warriors in the loss column, and the fate sound of “Taps” could be heard in the background.
But Tuesday’s 5-0 victory against Edgewood in the rematch at the JAGS Complex by the Falcons, combined with Geneva’s stunning 1-0 victory against the visiting Warriors on Thursday, resurrected Jefferson’s title hopes, which had been all but buried after Monday’s loss.
If coach Paul Bodnar’s Falcons (15-5, 7-2) can prevail today at Conneaut and then Thursday at Geneva, that would leave them one win from at least a share of Jefferson’s first softball championship in a decade. Jefferson was supposed to host Conneaut on Tuesday, but that game will have to played down the road because coach Mary Holdson’s Spartans will be playing a Division II sectional semifinal that day at Geneva against coach Roberta Cozad’s red-hot Eagles.
The amazing change in the NEC title chase wasn’t lost on Bodnar.
“I told the girls (Saturday), we are like Lazarus,” he said. “After Monday’s loss, we were dead and buried. By the time the games were finished on Thursday, we were back to life.”
Six-time defending champion Edgewood (16-3, 8-2) is all but assured of making it seven straight years of winning championships. Coach Shelley Monas’ Warriors play at Harvey today and host coach Mike Scullin’s Red Raiders (4-14, 0-9) on Monday.
But nothing is certain about Jefferson’s fate with two games against Conneaut and Thursday’s clash at Geneva on the docket, aside from one thing:
“Our fate is back in our own hands,” Bodnar said. “That’s all you can ask for. After Monday’s loss, it wasn’t. After Tuesday’s win and Geneva helping us out on Thursday, it is.”
While Jefferson has not won a softball championship since coach Rod Holmes’ Falcons rode the blazing fastball of ace pitcher Kristin Ettinger to the second of back-to-back outright NEC titles in 1998, the draught has been much longer for Bodnar... as in forever.
“Hey, it’s true,” Bodnar, now in his 29th season as a coach in the NEC at three different schools (Harbor, Lakeside and now Jefferson), said with a laugh. “The closest I’ve come was in my daughter, Theresa’s, senior season of 1996 when we finished a game and a half behind Riverside.
“I’ve never had a team that was in control of its own fate this late in a season than this.
“It’s a tribute to the girls and how hard they’ve worked to get to this point.”
On top of being thrust back in the race for an NEC championship, Bodnar’s bunch — seeded second — will go for a second straight Division II sectional championship on Wednesday at the JAGS Complex against the winner of Tuesday’s game between fourth-seeded Lakeview and third-seeded Howland at Howland. The Tigers defeated the Falcons, 7-5, in a game played on April 9 at the JAGS Complex. In that game, five Jefferson errors made six of Howland’s seven run unearned.
But Bodnar is undaunted about the tasks his girls have in front of them this week. In fact, he’s pumped up about it.
“If you’re an athlete and if you’re a competitor, these are the kinds of situations you absolutely live for,” he said. “There’s a lot at stake, but you’ve worked hard and prepared yourself and earned the right to go for it and, best of all, it’s up to us.
“It’s right there in front of us. The girls aren’t nervous, they’re excited, and so am I.”

Trivia time
Sticking with the Jefferson opening-act theme this week, name the great three-sport athlete who went on to play four years at the University of Akron after graduating from Jefferson in 1988.
Answer below.

The big switch
We’re not sure what kind of poker player Bodnar is, but he shuffled the deck with this defensive alignment last week.
He moved Courtney Francis, a Division I signee, from behind the plate where she’s been for almost all of her four-year career, to shortstop, moving fellow senior Brittany Metzner behind the plate.
Francis’ sister, sophomore Hannah Francis, moved over from short to second base and junior Amber Hurst went from second back to left field, where she played all of last season. When ace Kari Rouzer pitches, Misty Hussing plays first. When junior Megan Gochneaur hurls, Rouzer plays first and either Hussing or Cassandra Hubbard plays right, where Gochneaur plays when Rouzer is on the bump.
So far, Bodnar’s gamble has paid off as the Falcons are 3-0 since he shuffled the deck.
“The key is, Courtney Francis is a Division I athlete and shortstop is such a vital position,” Bodnar said. “She leads our team in stolen bases (12), so she has the speed and the range and, certainly, the arm to play there.
“With Hannah at second, she’s got a shortstop’s arm and Amber is very good in the outfield, too. With Brittany behind the plate, we don’t have to move Karley Febel, who has been our third baseman, from the spot she’s played so well for us back there.”
Bodnar admits the changes are indeed a gamble, but...
“I figured after Monday’s loss, we had nothing to lose,” he said. “We’ve played well this way and things have worked out for us in terms of getting back into the league race, so we’ll stick with this and see how far it will take us.”

Ugh
Safe to say Saturday will not go down as the best day in what has been a very successful season for the Lakeside Dragons.
Coach Kerri Weir’s squad welcomed Edgewood, West Geauga and Warren John F. Kennedy to the Lakeside Tournament and things didn’t go well from the start for the Dragons.
“Well, West Geauga showing up an hour late sort of started it, and it went downhill from there,” Weir said on Sunday night. “Then, it was our prom night. So after our first game, we had kids leaving.
“By the time we ended the second game, all three of my outfielders were gone. But it started that way — we had a total lack of focus from the get-go.”
The Dragons, who were in the thick of the Premier Athletic Conference title chase in their first season in the league, dropped their opener on Saturday to West Geauga, 4-3, then fell in the consolation game, 3-1, to Warren JFK.
“We’ll go into practice (today) with the attitude we’re just going to file (Saturday) away and forget about it,” Weir said. “But it was definitely a strange day, to say the least.”

Soaring like an Eagle
While a lot of attention is being paid to the NEC’s top two teams, Edgewood and Jefferson, a lot of that is because of the play of the team that’s made things so interesting — the Geneva Eagles.
The Eagles of first-year coach Roberta Cozad will take a seven-game winning streak into Tuesday’s Division II sectional championship game against Conneaut at Geneva.
After turning the NEC title chase on its ear with their 1-0 victory against visiting Edgewood on Thursday, the Eagles remained on fire by recording a 4-3, 12-inning non-conference win at Beaumont on Saturday.
Senior hurler Meagan Brookes racked up 16 strikeouts on the mound in earning the win, while speedster Brittany Stevenson completed the gamewinning rally by beating out a bunt down the third-base line to score pinchrunner Erin Zehe with what proved to be the winning run.
With its secctional semifinal on Tuesday and welcoming Jefferson in a must-win game for the Falcons on Thursday, you can bet Cozad’s squad (11-10, 6-5) will be ready to get after it.

Life’s a Fitch
Weir & Co. will use today’s practice to prepare for Tuesday’s Division I sectional championship clash with third-seeded Austintown-Fitch.
On April 9, the Falcons invaded Lakeside and broke open a scoreless tie with three runs in the top of the sixth and one in the seventh and went home with a 4-0 win, Heidi Soriano throwing the four-hit shutout to earn the win on the mound for Fitch.
“We’ve come a long way since then,” Weir, who led Lakeside to a sectional championship a year ago with a victory against Madison, said. “As a team, we’re playing better defense and we’re hitting the ball much, much better than we were at that point in our season.”
Weir said ace Christina Hutchison (11-4) will be on the mound for the Dragons (12-5, 7-2) on Tuesday.
An interesting caveat — the Fitch athletic director is Rob Conklin, who filled the same position at Lakeside a year ago.

The big show
Veteran umpire Mike Smith will be headed to the state tournament this spring, working an undetermined semifinal game at Firestone Stadium in Akron.
“It’s a wonderful honor,” Smith said before working the plate with partner Al Sedivec at Monday’s Jefferson-at-Edgewood clash. “I’m very excited to have been selected.”

Second season
Having missed out on a chance to claim at least a share of the Northeast Athletic Conference crown with a 5-4 league loss at Soutington on Wednesday, coach Andy Gray’s Pymnatuning Valley Lakers will look to make a run the tournament.
The third-seeded Lakers (17-6, 10-3), who will finish second behind repeat champion Maplewood in the NAC standings, will host sixth-seeded Hawken in a Division III sectional semifinal on Wednesday.

Hey, Doc
Edgewood’s Brittany Martin said he will see a doctor today about the bum right shoulder which has been plaguing her since travel ball last summer.
The junior is Edgewood’s cleanup hitter.
“I can’t wait to get back in there,” she said.

Smash, crash...
Martin and cohort Brittney Mackey, by the way, insist while Megan Dragon is a great pitcher for their Warriors, her moundwork is not what she’s best-known for with her teammates.
Martin and Mackey say Dragon will be the team’s driver when the Warriors decide to enter a car into the demolition derby at the Ashtabula County Fair.
Hey, don’t shoot the messenger... you’ll have to ask them.

Familiar face
Former Edgewood standout Lisa Steadman is back working with Monas’ Warriors.
Her duties include coaching first base and, believe it or not, tying Brittany Martin’s shoes... which she was doing before Monday’s game against visiting Jefferson.

The Flash
Edgewood’s Lauren Childs could very well be the fastest player in the area — from our eyes, it’s either her or Geneva’s Stevenson.
In the bottom of the fifth in the 6-0 Warrior win, Childs attempted to drop down a drag bunt from her customary left-handed batter’s box. However, the ball took a funny bounce and rolled into foul territory, prompting Bodnar to ask Smith, “Did that ball hit her out of the box?”
Without missing a beat, Childs’ father, Dennis, quipped, “She’s not that fast, Paul.”

One proud mama
Monas had an extra reason to celebrate after the Warriors’ 6-0 win against Jefferson on Monday.
“Today is my son, Kent’s, 20th birthday,” she said with a smile.
Kent, a 2007 Perry graduate, is a member of the Cleveland State University golf team.
A freshman, Monas and his Vikings teammates qualified for the NCAA Division I regionals.
“I’m very proud of the young man he is and the person he is,” Monas said through a beaming smile.
Coach Steve Weir’s Cleveland State squad will not have to travel for to make its second appearance as the Vikings were awarded the 25th seed in the Central Regional, to be played at the Scarlet Golf Course in Columbus. Ohio State will serve as the host school.
The Vikings earned the Horizon League's automatic NCAA berth by virtue of winning the league championship on April 28-29. CSU will be joined at the Scarlet Course by 26 other schools and six individuals for a total of 141 players.
CSU last competed in the NCAA Regional in 2006 when the Vikings won the league title and hosted the regional at Sand Ridge Golf Club. The Vikings finished 25th that season.
Kent’s dad, John, who serves as Edgewood’s scorekeeper, said he promised Kent he will be there to watch him at regionals.

Doublin’ her pleasure
With a twobagger in Jefferson’s 8-7 non-conference victory at Madison on Saturday, Courtney Francis reached a milestone.
The double was the 30th of the senior’s career, moving her into the top spot in the career doubles list at Jefferson.
Former Falcon standout Di Anthony, who lettered for four years for coach Ed Pickard’s Falcons (1985-88) had held the record of 29 for two decades until Francis came along.
In Jefferson’s 5-0 win against visiting Harvey at the JAGS Complex, Francis reached another milestone.
Her two hits in the victory were the 100th and 101st of her four-year career.

Face in the crowd
Jon “Little Red Man” Hall showed up at the Edgewood-Jefferson game on Tuesday at the JAGS Complex, accompanied by his gorgeous pooch, Cara.
LRM was spotted chatting with old friend Jeff Cicon, father of Edgewood first baseman Jordyn Cicon, down the first-base line during the game.
LRM and Cicon were two of the top players as center and point guard on the great 1979-80 Edgewood boys basketball team, coached by LRM’s father, Ashtabula County Basketball Foundation Hall of Famer, Jon Hall, that won the NEC championship and a Class AA sectional crown.
LRM, Cicon & Co. finished 20-3 that season, the most wins at Edgewood since the 1948-49 squad went 21-4 en route to winning the Big 7 crown. No Warrior team has won 20 games since LRM and Cicon graduated.

Doing the can-can
Wanting to sit on Jefferson’s side for Monday’s game at Edgewood, former Jefferson superintendent and all-around good guy Lloyd Behr was looking for a seat, but there are no bleachers on the visitor’s side at Edgewood.
So he improvised, turning a plastic garbage can on its side and taking a seat just to the left of the Jefferson dugout.
“Best seat in the house!” Behr said with his trademark smile.
By the way, he was very impressed with Dragon on the mound.
“She reminds me of (former Conneaut great and two-time Star Beacon Ashtabula County Player of the Year) Adrian Tuttle,” he said.
High praise, indeed.

On the button
At the same game, Jefferson three-sport standouts Lizzy Ziemski and Joslin Landis ran the scoreboard from the pressbox at the JAGS Complex.

All in the family
Perhaps it was only fitting Karley Febel had the two biggest hits to ignite Jefferson’s five-run explosion in its final two at-bats that led to its 5-0 win against the Warriors on Tuesday.
For exactly five years and a week previous, her older sister, Lyndsay, began a five-run uprising for Jefferson that led to a 5-3 Falcon win against the Warriors on the same field.
In between the fire-starting hits by the Febel sisters, Edgewood had defeated Jefferson 18 consecutive times.

Colorful
The countless dandelions the proliferated the grass in fair and foul territory at Edgewood’s field on Monday made for some good projectiles during pregame warmups.
Some players used the weeds as a chance to work on their golf swings... with their bats.

Go for it
Bodnar used a rare suicide squeeze to score a second run in the top of the seventh of Saturday’s 8-7 non-league win at Madison.
“We had one out and our fastest runner on third in Courtney Francis,” he said. “With Callie Busch at the plate, I knew we’d get the bunt down, but the pitch had to be hittable.
“I didn’t feel great about doing it, but after the first pitch, Courtney pleaded with me, saying, “Come on... let’s try it!’ So we did and, dog gone, if Courtney didn’t treak on the pitch and Callie didn’t drop down a perfect bunt that actually went for a hit, that’s how good it was.”

High five?
Then in the bottom of the seventh after Madison had built a threat with runners on second and third, the Falcons decided to intentionally walk Madison’s big-hitting sophomore, Katie Thompson.
“I went out and explained to Kari (Rouzer) what we were going to do,” Bodnar said.
Only problem was...
“Kari’s first pitch was a called a strike,” Bodnar said through a laugh.
After Rouzer threw four pitches out of the strike zone, she eventually recorded two crucial strikeouts to end the Blue Streak uprising.
However, only after an unintentional five-pitch intentional walk.
“I have to admit, that’s something I had never seen before,” Bodnar said.

Trivia answer
Ronda Carter played in 108 games during a spectacular career for Pickard’s Falcons (1985-88) and became the first player in history of the Jefferson program to sign a Division I scholarship, heading to Akron, where she started for four years.
Carter still holds four single-season Jefferson school records in hitting, six career marks in hitting and four career pitching standards.
She was the only Jefferson player to sign a Division I softball scholarship until Francis — who signed with former Conneaut standout Sabrina Lane’s St. Francis program last winter — came along.

Stat attack
Coaches are reminded we are accepting updated seasons statistics today — and every Monday — through the conclusion of the 2008 season.
They can be reported by fax at 998-7938, email at donmac@suite224.net or by telephone at 998-2323 or 1-800-554-6768, extensions 244, 280, 268, 247 or 232.

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