Columbiana’s in a league of its own

Morning Journal/Ron Firth
Columbiana’s Ella Dota scores in the second inning against United on Wednesday.

From Staff Reports

HANOVERTON — It was as easy as 1-2-3 for the Columbiana softball team Wednesday.

Caitlynn Pleska’s three-run homer allowed the first three batters to score and Columbiana never looked back in a 13-6 win over United to claim the Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference title outright.

It wasn’t close this season as Columbiana (22-3, 12-0 in the EOAC) outscored its league opponents a combined 161-10. Eight of those victories were shutouts.

United fell to 15-3 and 8-2 in the EOAC.

An error on the first pitch allowed Maryn Hepler to reach base. Ella Dota followed with a single and Pleska blasted a home run over the center field fence.

United scratched a run back in the bottom of the first as Samantha Lippiatt walked and got around the bases on three wild pitches.

Ella Dota’s two-run single and a Pleska RBI single extended Columbiana’s lead to 6-1 in the second inning.

Hepler got into the act with an RBI double in the third and Pleska again had an RBI single to push the Clipper lead to 8-1 in the fourth.

Brittany Miller and Brinsley Hiscox had RBI hits for the Eagles in the bottom of the fourth to make it 8-3.

Cameron Perkins came in on a wild pitch in the Clipper half of the fifth to extend the lead to 9-3.

Madelyn Lucas’ RBI single in the United half of the fifth made it 9-4.

Pleska added another RBI on a single in the sixth to push the Clipper lead to 10-4. Landry Smith, Hepler and Dota all had RBI singles in the seventh to put the game out of reach.

Lippiatt capped United’s scoring with a two-run home run in the seventh.

Mackenzi Gamble got the win for the Clippers with five strikeouts and four walks.

Mati Zines was tagged for the loss with three strikeouts and a walk.

United is at East Liverpool today. Columbiana is at Howland on Monday.

The Clippers earned the No. 3 seed in the Div. III district tournament behind No. 1 seed Champion and No. 2 seed South Range. United is the sixth seed.

C: 3-3-0-2-1-1-3–13-18-0

U: 1-0-0-2-1-0-2– 6- 8-3

Lisbon 25, Leetonia 1

LISBON — Lisbon scored 12 runs in the first inning and beat Leetonia, 25-1, in a three-inning game Wednesday.

Morgan Lively accounted for nine runs and tossed a one-hitter, striking out three and walking one.

Lively went 3-for-4 with a triple, five RBIs and four runs. Krystin Reckner went 3-for-3 with a triple and four runs and Abby Ammon tripled, singled, drove in four runs and scored three runs. Kamryn Peruchetti had three runs and three RBIs.

The Blue Devils collected 11 hits and 13 walks.

Morgan Mertzweiler got Leetonia’s hit.

Lisbon improves to 5-8 and will play at Lowellville on Monday.

LE: 1-0- 0– 1- 1-5

LI: 12-3-10–25-11-2

Crestview 3,

Newton Falls 2

COLUMBIANA — Crestview’s softball team was a 3-2 winner over Newton Falls on Wednesday.

Rylee Cloutier had two hits for the Rebels. Chloe Stoops had a double and an RBI.

Emma Snyder had 12 strikeouts and three walks in the winning effort in the circle.

Crestview (8-9) is at Liberty today.

NF: 0-0-0-1-1-0-0–2-2-1

CR: 0-1-1-0-1-0-x–3-5-4

Bellaire 9,

Beaver Local 6

CALCUTTA — Ciara Call had two home runs and two RBIs but Beaver Local saw its 10-game winning streak come to an end as Bellaire topped the Beavers 9-6 on Wednesday.

Tatum Duncan had a home run. Addison Eells had two doubles. Ally Wright had a double as well.

Call took the loss in the circle with five strikeouts and two walks in 2 2/3 innings. Beaver Local is 13-9 and is at Wellsville today.

BE: 2-2-5-0-0-0-0–9-6-3

BV: 1-1-1-0-1-0-2–6-9-7

Oak Glen 24,

North Marion 4

NEW MANCHESTER, W.Va. — Oak Glen had no trouble with North Marion as the Golden Bears banged out 24 hits in a 24-4 win in five innings over the Huskies in a Class AA, Region 1, Section 1 tournament game on Wednesday.

Kayla Wright had a big day as she hit for the cycle with five RBIs. Mikalyn Balch added four hits and an RBI. Riley Bruce had two singles, a double and three RBIs. Maddie Murray had three hits and three RBIs, while Addie Smith had three hits including a double with three RBIs. Marleah Lough had three hits and four RBIs.

Murray got the win in the circle with three strikeouts and three walks in 1 1/3 innings.

Oak Glen is 13-9 and will travel to Weir today for the semifinal of the double elimination tournament. Weir beat Fairmont Senior 29-1 on Wednesday to advance. The Red Riders have 6-2 and 14-0 wins over Oak Glen this season.

NM: 1-2- 1-0-0– 4- 6-8

OG: 0-3-20-1-x–24-24-0