NORTH RIDGEVILLE – Columbia senior second baseman Christa Wodarczyk was icing her back trying to relieve some pain following the Raiders` district semifinal appearance at North Ridgeville High School
After Columbia won 4-2 over Division III`s No. 1 ranked team, Hillsdale, it was that good kind of pain.
“It feels great,” Wodarczyk said of playing again. “I was so scared I wasn`t going to be able to play today. I told myself I can play. I`ll do this and fight through the pain because I had to for my team. It`s my last year and I`m not going to let this slip away.”
“Christa didn`t play with us all week long because she was in a car accident on Saturday,” said Columbia coach Ken Richardson. “She had back pain. She came to me [at] all of our games this week and said ‘Coach, I can`t go. I`ve got too much pain.`
“I walked up here today and I didn`t have her in the batting order,” he added. “I had different batting orders and different choices. She said, ‘Coach, I can do it.` I was ready to watch her turn something and have to sub somebody in, but she saved it up all week and brought her game today.”
Wodarczyk started the fifth inning by jumping on the first pitch she saw from Hillsdale standout pitcher Erin Ebert and drove the ball to right field. As she rounded second base, Wodarczyk was given the sign to head to third. Wodarczyk slid in safely underneath the tag despite a good relay throw from Hillsdale second baseman Jenn Moore.
“The first time at bat, I struck out and she threw three strikes down the middle,” Wodarczyk said. “The second time, I calmed down and I was waiting for that pitch. The first pitches were straight down the middle. I just waited for it and got a hold of it. I`m glad to be a part of this team.”
“I kept telling the girls ‘We are starting to get the bat on the ball, we`re getting ready to break through,`” said Richardson. “A lot of teams when they get to that point, they get nervous. They start swinging at stuff. Ebert was very good at suckering us into going after that high pitch. They were able to stay off of it or foul it off and get on base.”
Contact Matt Florjancic at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

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