Sectional Softball: Amherst gets test from Elyria but advances

AMHERST — The result was as expected, but that doesn't mean Amherst — the top-seeded team in the Avon Lake district — had an easy time in its Division I sectional final Wednesday night. Elyria — the No. 22 seed — climbed out of an early hole to get within one in the fifth inning, then got the tying run to the plate with only one out in its final at-bat, but the Pioneers couldn't complete the rally and lost 8-4 to the Comets at Sliman's Diamond. "We told our girls going into this game, 'Do not take them lightly,'" Comets coach Lacey Reichert said. "From the first time we played Elyria to the second time (in the Southwestern Conference) they were a much improved team. Megan (Bashak) is a great coach and they play tough competition … there's too much tradition for them to not play their best." Amherst (18-8) put the Pioneers (7-11) to the test early by scoring four runs in the first inning. Brianna Sadler led off with a double to left-center and advanced to third on a throwing error. Nevaeh Sadler — Brianna's freshman sister — brought home the first run with a sacrifice bunt and advanced to second when the throw to first skipped down the right-field line. Cassidy Kettleman made it 2-0 with a triple off the center-field wall but was thrown out at the plate, Rachel Miller doubled to left field after a 12-pitch at-bat and Kristen Kelley completed the scoring with a two-run shot over the left-field fence. "I definitely think we were ready to play … and ready to play Elyria," Kelley said. "We didn't really focus on the opponent as much as how hard we were gonna play in that game. We were 100 percent ready for a fight because it's tournament play and anything can happen. So you just have to keep playing hard every single game no matter what their jersey says." Amherst made it 5-0 in the third when Kettleman led off with her second triple and scored on Miller's single to left. Then Elyria dug in. Jaidah Gonzalez led off the fourth with a solo home run over the right-field wall to make it 5-1. In the fifth with two outs, Mya St. Peter reached on an error, Alliyah Alberto walked and Kloie Troutman also reached on an error to make it 5-2. Gonzalez lined a single to right-center to drive in two more runs and pull the Pioneers within one. "It started off rocky but then they picked it up and fought really hard," Bashak said. "They kept their energy up and they kept their heads in it. They're still learning but the growth (over the season) has been amazing. They went from not communicating and almost looking afraid of the ball to now wanting the ball every play. It's a big difference." Amherst answered immediately with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Kettleman walked and stole second, then Kelley and Eliza Marcano hit back-to-back doubles. The Comets added their final run in the sixth when Emma Nagy hit a pinch-hit home run well over the center-field fence. The Pioneers battled to the end, loading the bases on singles by St. Marie and Troutman and an Amherst error that allowed Gonzalez to reach safely. But Comets pitcher Sierra Dorobek retired the last two batters — the first on a hard grounder to Kettleman, who went home for the force out, and the second on a fly to right field — to end the game. "Credit to Elyria, they came ready to play," Reichert said. "We told the girls (after the first inning) that four runs was not going to win this game. We were able to score those two runs after they got to within one in the fifth and then we get a huge pinch-hit home run from Nagy. And they loaded the bases in the seventh, so without that you have the winning run at the plate instead of the tying run at the plate and that changes the way you do things. "But we'll take the win. It's hard to get a win, let alone a tournament win. But we've got to get better obviously." Amherst — the No. 3 overall seed in the Northeast district — advances to the district semifinals at Avon Lake, where it will meet No. 14 Akron Firestone on Monday at 3:30 p.m. The other district semifinal between No. 4 Avon and No. 9 North Olmsted will take place immediately after at 5:30. Contact Shaun Bennett at 329-7137 or sbennett@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @ShaunBennettct on Twitter. Amherst 8, Elyria 4 Elyria ab r &emsp;&emsp;h &emsp;&emsp;bi&emsp;&emsp;Amherst &emsp;&emsp;ab r &emsp;&emsp;h &emsp;&emsp;bi Palos 4 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;B. Sadler&emsp;&emsp;4 &emsp;&emsp;1 &emsp;&emsp;2 &emsp;&emsp;0 St. Marie&emsp;&emsp;4 &emsp;&emsp;1 &emsp;&emsp;1 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;N. Sadler&emsp;&emsp;3 &emsp;&emsp;1 &emsp;&emsp;1 &emsp;&emsp;1 Alberto &emsp;&emsp;2 &emsp;&emsp;1 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;Kettleman 2 &emsp;&emsp;2 &emsp;&emsp;2 &emsp;&emsp;1 Troutman&emsp;&emsp;4 &emsp;&emsp;1 &emsp;&emsp;2 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;Miller 3 &emsp;&emsp;1 &emsp;&emsp;2 &emsp;&emsp;1 Gonzalez&emsp;&emsp;4 &emsp;&emsp;1 &emsp;&emsp;2 &emsp;&emsp;3 &emsp;&emsp;Kelley 3 &emsp;&emsp;2 &emsp;&emsp;2 &emsp;&emsp;3 N. Tackett 4 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;1 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;Marcano &emsp;&emsp;3 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;1 &emsp;&emsp;1 Randall &emsp;&emsp;3 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;Bottomlee 0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 Manning &emsp;&emsp;2 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;Waldecki&emsp;&emsp;3 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 Smith 0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;Stottlemire 3 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 P. Tackett 3 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;Jackson &emsp;&emsp;2 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;Nagy 1 &emsp;&emsp;1 &emsp;&emsp;1 &emsp;&emsp;1 &emsp;&emsp;Dorobek &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 &emsp;&emsp;0 Totals 30 4 &emsp;&emsp;6 &emsp;&emsp;3 &emsp;&emsp;Totals 27 8 &emsp;&emsp;11 8 Elyria 000 130 0 &emsp;&emsp;— &emsp;&emsp;4 &emsp;&emsp;6 &emsp;&emsp;2 Amherst &emsp;&emsp;401 021 x &emsp;&emsp;— &emsp;&emsp;8 &emsp;&emsp;11 3 2B — Troutman, B. Sadler, Miller, Kelley, Marcano. 3B — Kettleman 2. HR — Kelley, Gonzalez, Nagy. SAC — N. Sadler. SB — B. Sadler, Kettleman, Smith. LOB — Elyria 9, Amherst 3. &emsp;&emsp;IP H&emsp;&emsp;R&emsp;&emsp;ER BB SO Elyria P. Tackett (L, 7-11) 6 &emsp;&emsp;11 8 &emsp;&emsp;7 &emsp;&emsp;1 &emsp;&emsp;3 Amherst Dorobek (W, 15-6) 7 &emsp;&emsp;6 &emsp;&emsp;4 &emsp;&emsp;1 &emsp;&emsp;3 &emsp;&emsp;6 HBP — Randall (by Dorobek).