High school softball: Lillian Ciryak leads Elyria Catholic to win over Midview

EATON TWP. — Senior Lillian Ciryak knows what it means to play winning softball. Elyria Catholic's third baseman made all the plays Tuesday afternoon as the Panthers got past Midview for the second time this season, 6-3, in non-conference play. Both teams used the game to tune-up for tournament play. "I'm just very focused on keeping it in front of me," said Ciryak of anticipating a play at the hot corner. "I know that I have to have my pitcher's back and no matter what that takes, got to go all out each time. I just have to keep my head down and focus in on it. I started playing third base my junior year and I just fell in love with it." She took a sure hit — and maybe extra bases — away from Midview freshman Hailey Dye to start the bottom of the third inning and she made four other flawless plays on hard ground balls, including the final out of the game to preserve the win for freshman pitcher Meagan Stang and give EC its 20th win of the year in 24 outings. Midview is now 17-7 going into Thursday's tournament home field opener against Barberton. "When Meagan's on the mound, we have the best defense that we can put out on the field," said EC coach Jim Piazza. "That showed (Tuesday). They trust each other and move and compete. I thought Lily had a heck of a game at third base. Everybody did. Cara (Gehlke) in left field, Jess (Jessica Conner) in center with the diving catch. If we can do defense like that, I think we're in great shape." At the plate, Ciryak had two hits and an RBI, driving home Stang's twin sister and battery mate, Molly, from second base in the fifth inning to give the Panthers an insurance run. Ciryak is one of only four seniors on Elyria Catholic's roster. "It felt nice to get some good swings, see the ball," she said. "I was really focused on base hits. We have to keep good attitudes going into the tournament." "I talked to her before the game," said Piazza of Ciryak adding some punch from the bottom of the lineup. "You're down there for that reason because we're not getting any production down there. I said it's not an insult. She came through." Elyria Catholic scored three runs in the top of the first and built the lead from there. Senior Paytin Baehr drove in two runs with a single to left with the bases loaded. Molly Stang drove in the third with a single up the middle. Midview's Jillian Vandersluis closed the deficit to 3-1 with a home run to right-center field in the second inning but the Panthers stretched the lead to 5-1 with two runs in the fourth. Nadia Pagan drove in Alyssa Winter all the way from first base on a single to right. She advanced to second on the throw and scored on Jessica Conner's double to the fence in center field. The Middies added runs in the fifth and seventh innings but Meagan Stang pitched out of both jams to limit the damage. After Conner made a diving catch on Dezirae Thomas' sinking liner, Savannah Holcomb doubled off Baehr's glove on a tough chance and scored on Nina Ballachino's single to center in the fifth. Thomas beat out a slow roller to second with one out in the seventh, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Holcomb's sacrifice fly to left. "It was good getting some good, quality reps against a good team at tournament time," said Midview coach Cassie Haight. "(EC) is a great defensive team and one of the reasons we decided to play each other (Tuesday) was to prepare for tournament time." Contact Tim Gebhardt at (440) 329-7135 or at timothygeb@msn.com.