Only thing slowing Clippers is the weather

Morning Journal/Matt Morrison
Columbiana’s Caitlynn Pleska pitches against Southern on Wednesday at Firestone Park.

COLUMBIANA–Columbiana’s softball team was rolling with a 5-1 lead over Southern in the bottom of the third inning but Mother Nature had other plans on Wednesday as a thunderstorm halted the game at Firestone Park.

Even with unfavorable forecasts for the area, Columbiana and Southern had confidence that the game could still be played before the weather conditions worsened.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Columbiana coach Daryl Kurtz said. “You can’t cancel a game because of a forecast. The first two innings it was beautiful out. Sun was out and we had blue skies, but welcome to Ohio in the spring it (the weather) moves in fast.”

“Ball teams are just trying to get games in right now at this point,” Southern coach Brent Boyle said. “Games are getting rescheduled and rescheduled. We have six games scheduled this week, so we are trying to get them in any chance we can.”

Columbiana is 8-2 and 1-0 in the Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference, while Southern is 4-3 and 0-1 in the EOAC.

Southern had an issue finding a bus driver that made the team a little late and caused the game to start 20 minutes past the 5 p.m. scheduled start.

“We had a game last night where we had bus problems and the other school had bus problems,” Boyle said. “We are almost to the point where we should just start making games a 5:30 p.m. start time just to accommodate for the busing issues. There is not enough employees.”

“That is something that everyone has to deal with,” Kurtz said. “Southern and Columbiana are both small schools. We show up late to games because we have transportation issues and that is a part of the game and we have to roll with it.”

Through three innings of play Columbiana was led by Caitlynn Pleska who had one hit, two RBIs and one run scored, while Maryn Hepler and Ella Dota each had one hit and one run scored. Cameron Perkins, Ava Davanzo and Alainia Johnston each had one hit. Landry Smith scored one run for the Clippers.

Pleska allowed one earned run on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts through three innings of work in the circle.

Gianna Pecorelli was leading the Indians at the plate before the game was suspended. Pecorelli had two hits and one run scored, while Raelea Carosiello and Alexis Ensinger each collected one hit.

Ensinger allowed five earned runs on six hits with two walks through two innings of work in the circle.

Columbiana and Southern will resume the rest of the contest as soon as the teams have an open date.

“It will be a suspended game,” Kurtz said. “We will pick it up right where from we left off. We just have to find a date were we are both open.”

Columbiana will host a doubleheader against Lisbon today, while Southern will host Mineral Ridge on Friday.