AMHERST — Christa Wodarczyk was thrown only one pitch in Wednesday’s Lorain County Senior All-Star Game.
That was all it took. The Columbia second baseman clobbered Morgan Henry’s first offering into left-center field for a two-run triple that snapped a 1-1 tie and helped the Blue team take a 6-3 victory over the Red all-stars at Sliman’s Diamond.
“It was right down the middle,” Wodarczyk said of her fourth-inning hit. “I got a hold of it, and I got lucky.”
Wodarczyk was one of two Blue players who had key two-run hits. Lauren Whited of Elyria Catholic belted a double with none out that brought home a pair to make the score 5-1 in the seventh.
“I just wanted to get more runs on the board,” Whited said. “I knew I had to make contact, so I looked for a pitch to hit and it worked for me.”
“These kids are so much fun,” winning coach Jim Piazza of Keystone said. “They’re all relaxed. The Amherst girls (Ari Antonopoulos, Olivia Sliman, Aleecia Sunagel) kept everyone loose. That’s a loose group they have at Amherst.”
“I played in the basketball all-star game, so I know it’s always fun. I like to play with the people we called our rivals. Everyone is cool here.”
Whited viewed the get-together, the last game of most players’ scholastic careers, as bittersweet.
“It’s sad,” she said. “I’ve been playing since I was 8 years old. Now it’s over. I don’t know if I will play in college (Lorain County Community College).”
The Red team struck first, in the opening inning as Elyria’s Tess Sito, the co-Miss Softball (with Kara Dill of Keystone), started with a single to left field. Southview’s Danielle Reddinger had a bunt hit and both players stole bases to put runners at second and third with no one out.
Kalli Wakefield of Avon Lake grounded out to first, but the throw to the plate to try to catch Sito got away from catcher Kristen Marcucci of Clearview.
Cassie Gleisner of Wellington, the Blues’ starting pitcher, escaped more trouble when a bouncer to third by Elyria’s Sarah Bracey erased Reddinger at home. Gleisner struck out North Ridgeville’s Kelsey Swindell to end the threat.
Sito, who pitched Elyria to the Division I state championship Saturday, cruised through the first three innings, allowing a hit on a single to Sunagel, walking none and striking out six.
The Blue got started in the fourth when Elizabeth Fazekas of Midview singled. An out later Gabrielle Suppa of Clearview doubled to bring Fazekas home. A hit by Keystone’s Ashley Stromack was followed by a popup before Wodarczyk’s triple.
Stromack got things started for the Blue team in the seventh with a single. Antonopoulos singled and Whited got them both across with her double. Whited moved to third on a groundout, then scored when Dill lofted a sacrifice fly to deep center field.
The Reds picked up a pair of runs in the eighth. Lauren Surface of Brookside doubled and Alyssa Vrbancic of Southview singled to place runners at the corners. Vrbancic stole second before Henry’s line drive to left field was misplayed, allowing Surface and Vrbancic to score.
Sito singled and stole second to give the Red runners at second and third with no one out. Whited, in relief of winning pitcher Brittany Stone of Midview, struck out two and induced a popup to second to keep the score 6-3.
Gleisner came back out to pitch the ninth inning. She yielded a one-out hit to Jaime Drennan of Avon before retiring the next two to give the Blues the victory.
Contact Steve Byrne at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

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