Sectional softball: Black River keeps having fun as it opens tourney with victory

SULLIVAN TWP. — Weathering its fair share of close losses and, of course, the actual weather, Black River decided fun was the priority for the homestretch of what has been a wet, disjointed season in Northeast Ohio. To no one's surprise, winning has followed. Behind an offense that had little issue adjusting to slower pitching, the 17th-seeded Pirates opened tournament action Wednesday with a 15-5 blowout of No. 20 Lake Center Christian in a Division VI, Northeast 3 District quarterfinal that was shortened to five innings by the mercy rule. While Black River (7-11), which has won four straight by a combined 44-10, will have the monumental challenge of facing Independence pitcher Lila Manfredonia, who has struck out 190 in only 73 1/3 innings, in the district semis next week, it was pumped to keep the good vibes going on a nippy, semi-blustery afternoon against the Tigers (7-12). "I think we've been working really hard together," first baseman Peyton Stewart said. "Defense is really pushing us, our offense is getting better and we're hitting good pitches. Our pitching is great. "We're just all around coming together as a team and communicating together very well." Nine players had at least one hit as the Pirates racked up 16 overall. They scored three runs in the first inning and eight in the third off starter Nora Sobitz, who stayed in the game after a comebacker drilled her in the left shoulder. Stewart was the table-setter, crushing an opposite-field, two-run triple to right field en route to finishing 3-for-4 with three runs. Jenevieve Dieter also had three hits and drove in three, while Madelyn Stief (2-for-3, two runs), Rebekah Miller (2-for-2, RBI, two runs) and winning pitcher Abbey Kiser (2-for-4, three RBIs) completed the multihit club. "Mostly it's when we're sitting on deck, we're watching how she's pitching," Stewart said. "We really have to move up in the box more than we're used to and stay back on the ball." Kiser (5-8, 3.61) kept youthful Lake Center Christian, which has only one senior and three juniors, from mounting any early momentum by getting out of two-on jams in the first and third innings. The junior allowed four earned runs on 10 hits, walked three and struck out one. The defense also came to play, committing only one error and turning a 5-4-3 double play in the fifth with Miller, Stief and Stewart. Black River returns to Lorain County League play today and Friday against Wellington (2-15, 1-8) and Brookside (5-15, 2-7) before its showdown with fourth-seeded Independence. If nothing else, the Pirates will have fun. "We learned that bringing up our energy and cheering the whole time, it helps our team improve overall," Dieter said. "Our energy is always just go, go, go. "I love our energy. I'm a cheery kind of girl. I love going out there screaming. I love doing it. I love how if someone makes a mistake or if we are down on ourselves, we help that person bring themselves up. We're just a great team. We're family." Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com.