CLYDE — For the third straight year, Elyria is headed to a softball Final Four.
With Cynthia Woodard sliding home in a cloud of Sandusky County dust and Sarah Bracey delivering another timely hit, the Pioneers defeated Holland Springfield
2-0 on Saturday at Joe Wilson Field. Tess Sito struck out 14.
The win secured another Division I regional championship and the Pioneers’ sixth appearance in the state tournament, their fourth in seven seasons. They won the state title in 2002 and were runners-up the last two years. They also appeared in the Final Four in 2000 and 1994.
“We’ve been confident the last two years,” Bracey said of the trips to the Final Four in 2006-07. “This year, we’re not just confident, we’re comfortable with it. The past couple of years we were nervous because we were a young team. This year, we’ve been there. Just about all of us have been there.”
“This is a great win for Elyria, the Little League programs and the community,” said Elyria coach Ken Fenik. “It’s everybody. It’s not one person and that’s what makes this special.”
The Pioneers (27-1) will be the home team at 5:30 p.m. Friday when they tangle with Mason of Warren County in a state semifinal at Firestone Stadium in Akron. Elyria defeated Mason 2-1 in the semifinal round last year.
Woodard, the Pioneers’ leadoff batter, reached on an error in the first inning and went around to third as the Blue Devils continued to misplay the ball. She slid home when cleanup batter Megan Bashak put the ball in play and Springfield (22-7) committed its third error of the inning.
In the process of scoring, Woodard was accidentally stepped on by Blue Devils catcher Meagan Price. She suffered a leg scrape and torn sock. She figured the run would be enough to win.
“Almost all the games when we’ve scored the first run, we’ve won,” Woodard said. “It’s good to get that first run in.”
Elyria scored the clincher in the third inning. With two out and Sito on second base, Bracey delivered an RBI single. It was her single to left field that sent Bashak running home in the Pioneers’ 1-0 semifinal victory over North Royalton on Wednesday.
Joe Wilson Field has always been a special place for Bracey. When she was a freshman, she drilled a two-run double in the sixth inning that doomed Whitehouse Anthony Wayne and sent the Pioneers to the Final Four.
It had extra meaning for her on Saturday. Her brother, Army 1st Lt. Dan Richard, is stationed at Camp Taji, 12 miles north of Baghdad. He told Bracey he would be following the game via Internet on Lorain County.com.
“I really like this field,” said Bracey, who was the only player on either team with more than one hit. “Today I was really excited because my brother’s in Iraq in the Army. He was listening online and I knew I had to do something good. He’s my favorite person. I love him so much. He’s like my best friend.”
Richard comes home in September.
“Sarah came through big-time today,” said Fenik. “There’s something about this place. She makes things happen here. She’s had three clutch hits in three regional games and I can’t say enough about her and the way she gets the job done.”
Sito struck out 26 and allowed just five hits in the two regional games. She raised her record to 26-1 for the season.
“I felt a lot better today than I did (on Wednesday),” Sito said. She hurled a 12-strikeout two-hitter against North Royalton, but issued three walks and fell behind in the count several times. “I felt a lot better with my riseball today.”
Contact Bob Daniels at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

In order to comment, you must agree to our user agreement and discussion guidelines.
You must be registered and logged in to post a comment. If you aren't already registered, click here.
If you are registered, click here to log in.
Need help? Email Us.