Perry eliminates Nordonia softball from postseason
The Nordonia softball team’s 2022 season came to a screeching halt May 9 with a 9-1 loss at 12th-seeded Massillon Perry in a Division I sectional semifinal.
The Knights wound up 7-17 on the season.
Nordonia, seeded 18th, actually took an early 1-0 lead over the defending state champion Panthers. In the top of the second inning, senior shortstop Carmella Hack doubled to right field, and then senior designated hitter Olivia Ciocca singled to right field to drive her in.
“It was just Perry’s day,” Knights head coach Marissa Rizzo said. “I think they came ready to play.”
Nordonia’s season did not exactly go as planned.
“I think the girls gave it their all, put in a lot of work. We play in a tough conference,” said Rizzo. “I think sometimes we just struggled to find our groove, putting all of it together all the time – the hitting, the pitching, the fielding.”
There were positives this season, namely on the offensive side of things.
“We batted .300 as a team,” Rizzo said. “We also broke the school single-season home run record with 16.”
Senior catcher Morgan Gallagher set the school single-season home run record for one player with seven and also was the Knights leader with 21 RBIs. Hack led the team with a .375 batting average. Junior center fielder Jensen Stehlik was the team leader with 19 runs.
Nordonia’s pitching was solid.
“Our pitchers always did what they needed to do,” said the coach. “Senior Jenna Cornett had an ERA of around 3.00. She was an absolute workhorse this season. She went out there and did what she had to do.”
Defensively, the Knights committed far fewer errors than last season.
“I think there were some times where our communication lacked here and there,” Rizzo said, “but overall our defense was much better than last year.”
Rizzo will miss greatly the five seniors who will graduate – Hack, Gallagher, Cornett, Ciocca and third baseman Elizabeth Shubert.
“All five girls brought really great strength and unique things for a team. We’re going to be losing five of our starters,” she said. “After going to Myrtle Beach to open the season, our team had a really strong bond. It was just a great experience for the players. I was happy that we were able to do that with this group because they worked so hard this whole season. We were supposed to go to Myrtle Beach when they were sophomores, but we didn’t get the chance to because of COVID.”
Next season’s team will be very young.
“We had three juniors who started this season, and I’m really looking for them to step up and lead,” said Rizzo. “I’m excited to put in a lot of work in the offseason and just get better.”
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Perry eliminates Nordonia softball from postseason
