ELYRIA — Was it a one-hitter or a no-hitter? If you scrutinize the scorebook long enough, it might even have been a two-hitter.
So what? It’s a detail and it borders on abstract. The fact is, it was the second straight victory for Elyria’s softball team, which ripped Solon, 8-0, at the West High softball complex Monday afternoon.
Junior star Tess Sito notched her second straight pitching victory and it goes into the books as a one-hitter. Some in the sizable crowd thought it could have been a no-hitter and some also thought Solon’s Comets could have been credited with two hits.
It doesn’t matter, and certainly not to Sito.
She’s been involved in no-hitters before, in two shared no-nos with Megan Bashak and Brianna Wade last spring. What matters from a Pioneers viewpoint is Kristen Fyffe provided all the offense they needed when she ripped a two-run single to center field with two out in the third inning.
First baseman Fyffe’s timely hit not only ignited a two-out rally that saw the Pioneers send 10 batters to the plate in a five-run inning, it also steered Elyria (2-0) to its second straight victory. Solon is a Northeast Ohio Conference opponent, although the game did not count in the conference standings.
Fyffe’s hit drove Jess Bellottie and Kristen Boros home. Fyffe and junior Sarah Bracey, who singled, then scored on Ashlee Stolarski’s two-out liner that hooked sharply into left-center field.
“I was excited to start the rally we got going with two outs,” Fyffe said. “It feels good to get the team going in that situation.”
It was Sito’s second victory and the Pioneers’ second straight shutout. They drilled Magnificat 6-0 last week in a non-conference season opener during which Bashak pitched three no-hit relief innings.
Speaking of Bashak, the senior southpaw suffered breaks in two fingers on her pitching hand in a defensive drill during a Sunday practice.
“They said I have to go two to three weeks without pitching or batting,” Bashak said before Monday’s game. “I might be able to base-run if I protect my hand. I go back for a checkup in two weeks.”    
Bashak’s injury means most of the pitching responsibility falls to Sito.
“I know I have to step up since Megan’s hurt now,” Sito said. “I can do it, because in summer ball I pitch almost every game. We want to keep her spirits up, because she’s going to come back.”
Like Bracey and Stolarski, Sito also had two hits, her first a long double to left field in the first inning. It was the only extra-base hit of the game.
Elyria got six of its 10 hits from the bottom half of its batting order, two each from Bracey and sophomore Ashlee Stolarksi. Each scored two runs. Like Fyffe, Stolarski also had two RBIs.
“The last game I was oh-fer at the plate because I was popping up everything,” Stolarski said. “Coming into today, I listened to my coaches and what they told me, to keep my shoulders down and just have confidence in myself.”
Bracey led off Elyria’s three-run fifth inning with a sharp single to left. Stolarski followed with one of her own and they both scored when Cynthia Woodard laid down a bunt and Solon reliever Sloan Zimmerman threw the ball into the outfield. Woodard later scored on Jess Mandula’s RBI grounder to the left side.
“I started off struggling,” Bracey said. “I popped up my first couple times up. Then (Stolarski) told me something that boosted my confidence. I got up and hit one and that made me feel better. The next time at bat, I hit pretty good, too.”
It was the 299th career victory for Elyria coach Ken Fenik. He’ll notch his 300th if the Pioneers win at Nordonia on Wednesday.
“Fyffe’s hit was key today,” said Fenik. “When she got that hit, it just kind of sparked us and we put together some hits right in a row. Tess did a nice job, and right now, she’s going to be the horse. Boros will be the backup. It will be tough. Bashak has been the fixture out there for years, and I just hope she makes a speedy recovery.”

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