Ursuline outlasts St. Vincent-St. Mary in thriller

Paige Ogden caps off solid game by driving in the winning run in 3-2 victory

YOUNGSTOWN -- It started off with it looking like the Ursuline Fighting Irish were going to run away from the Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary Fighting Irish at the Covelli Sports Complex on the campus of Youngstown State University.

Instead, it turned into a pitcher's duel between Ursuline's Mia Opalick and SVSM's Kaidyn Schrader.

In the end, Ursuline made one more play, which allowed it to get past SVSM 3-2 Thursday afternoon.

After a strong top half of the first from Opalick, Ursuline (7-2) started off the bottom half of the inning with an Alyssa Sheely single. After she stole second, Opalick's double brought her in to make it 1-0.

After Maddie Mirklandric and Kyleigh Golden reached on a throwing error and a single to put runners at second and third with one out, Schrader dug in, striking out Layni Bednar and getting Ayva Fedor to flyout to center to end the threat.

"She (Schrader) had a good changeup," Ursuline coach Kristina Dugan said. "I'll give her credit, She hit her spots too. I think we put the ball in play. It was just like, one little almost inch sometimes where it could have busted wide open and we just struggled to get it put it together back to back but I think all in all like they still came together as a team. I was proud of them for that."

SVSM (3-5) threatened in the top half of the second, with runners at second and third with one out after a Kaitlin Shuber single.

Opalick retired the final two batters to get out of the jam.

Ursuline added another run in the bottom of the second on an RBI double from Ogden that scored Sheely from second after Schrader retired the first two batters of the inning.

SVSM threatened again in the top half of the third after a Kate Kujawski double. After back-to-back strikeouts, Avarie Mays was hit by a pitch.

Schrader's RBI single scored Kujawski to make it 2-1.

From there, both pitchers settled in over the next two and half innings.

"All year long actually, Kaidyn's pounded the strike zone,' Schrader said. "She's started four games now and lasted seven innings in every one of them. I think she's thrown on average about 75 pitches a game. She is somebody that likes to pound the strike zone and mix in a change up here and there to try and keep them off balance and let our defense work for her. She's done a really nice job keeping us in games."

That she did as the Ursuline bats went silent.

In the top of the sixth, after retiring seven straight batters, Opalick fell behind in the count and challenged Mays.

Mays took the 2-1 pitch over the right field wall to tie the game up at 2.

"I thought she moved the ball well," Schrader said. "We're young. We tend to want to chase pitches up in the strike zone. I think she figured that out with some of our kids and she took advantage of that.

"We're missing two starters and not an excuse but you know, lineups get shifted and some kids who haven't had as many at bats had to play today and listen, they did an awesome job. I'm proud of my group; really proud of my group for hanging in there today."

Mays definitely did that for SVSM.

"She had to come back because she was down in the count," Dugan said. "She had to come back to get a strike and it just was one of those things. That girl is a good hitter."

Opalick regrouped, retiring the final six batters she faced.

"I am super proud of her for coming in the top of the seventh when it meant a lot," Dugan said. "That's a big deal. She definitely fought. You could tell it was in her."

Mays' home run was her first in her career. It couldn't have come at a better time for SVSM.

"She's a freshman and she's been having quality at bats for us all year long," Schrader said. "I just told her as I walked over to third base, I said 'Hey, you know, let's just square one up. Let's see what happens in square one up and she's a strong kid and she squared it up. Pretty simple at that point."

In the bottom of the seventh, Sheely stayed perfect on the day with a single. She finished the day with three singles and a double.

"I'm happy for her because things I feel like weren't really falling," Dugan said. "She's been hitting the ball well, but again, like it's been going right to people so for her to have a great game."

Ogden came to the plate and seemed to be ready to bunt, but held up a few times.

Though, on a 1-1 count, she laid one down perfectly as the ball to first was mishandled and rolled into foul territory in right scoring Sheely for the game winner. Ogden finished the day 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

"Paige, she didn't have like her best hitting game that she normally does," Dugan said. "We only needed one run. She's a great bunter and will take one for the team. She's a great team player. I was like, this is what we need at this point."

For Dugan, it was a positive sign to see the resiliency of her team after they dropped a game on Wednesday, 5-4 to Mogadore Field in eight innings.

"We're now finally getting to play multiple games," Dugan said. "It feels good to be able to kind of mesh together and fix things on the field as opposed to having one game and then sit and practice for 10 in the gym. This is where we want to be. We want to be in tough games. We want to be in close games because I think it helps prepare us for the tournament."