Tag Archive for: Irish

INDIANS DENY URSULINE IN THE DISTRICT FINAL

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AKRON OH-  The Indians are moving on. Girard locked up a district title Thursday with a gritty 4-1 win over Ursuline, riding a strong start from Dominick Tolone and some timely hitting to punch their ticket to the regional semis.

Things got rolling early when Ja’den Royal knocked in the game’s first run with a base hit in the top of the first. Ursuline answered right back in the bottom half—Rowan Urbach ripped a single down the left field line to even it up at 1-1.

The tie held until the fifth, when the Indians made their move. Santino Barone cracked a go-ahead RBI single, and Joey Alejars followed it up with a clutch knock of his own to push the lead to 4-1.

That was all Tolone needed. The righty went the distance, giving up just four hits and one earned while striking out nine and walking four in a gutsy complete-game effort. He kept Ursuline off balance all night and let his defense work behind him—no errors, rock-solid all around.

Alejars was money in the 8-hole, going 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs. Royal and Camron Herrick also turned in two-hit games as Girard racked up nine total knocks.

On the Irish side, Dom Polkovitch and Joe Balog split time on the mound. Polkovitch took the loss after giving up three runs over 3.2 innings, while Balog tossed 3.1 frames of one-run ball.

Ursuline scattered four hits—Urbach, Anthony Triveri, Luke Kollar, and CJ Snyder each chipped in one—but couldn’t string anything together after that early spark. With the district trophy in hand, Girard now shifts its focus to the regional semifinals. The road to state rolls on.

IRISH WALK OFF GIVES THEM SHOT AT A CHAMPIONSHIP

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STRUTHERS OH-  Ursuline didn’t flinch when the pressure hit its peak. With the game knotted up at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Thomas Kosovan stepped up and delivered the dagger — a walk-off single that lifted the Irish over Villa Angela-St. Joseph, 3-2, Tuesday at Bob Cene Park.

It was a grinder from start to finish. Both squads got solid work on the bump, but it was the Irish who came through when it mattered most.

AJ Snyder got the green and gold rolling in the third with an RBI single to get on the board. VASJ answered in the fifth with a groundout RBI from Frank Oriani and a base hit by Al Sustarsic to tie things up. But after that, it was all about who would blink first.

Anthony Triveri gave Ursuline six strong innings, fanning eight and giving up just two runs on five hits. Dom Polkovitch came in to shut it down in the seventh and ended up picking up the win after Kosovan played hero.

Snyder and Kosovan both went 2-for-3, with Snyder driving in a pair to carry the middle of the order. The Irish showed plenty of discipline at the dish too, drawing six walks and staying clean on defense with zero errors. Rowan Urbach anchored things up the middle, racking up eight chances without a hiccup.

Eppich kept VASJ in it on the hill, going 6.2 innings and only giving up a pair of earned runs, but his offense couldn’t punch through late. Now it’s on to the district championship for Ursuline, where they’ll meet Girard in Akron on Thursday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.

Game Photos Can Be Found HERE

URSULINE GETS A SECTIONAL SHUT OUT

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STRUTHERS OH-  Ursuline dropped the hammer in the fifth—and Niles had no answer. The Irish put up a four-spot in the bottom of the fifth to pull away and blanked the Red Dragons 7-0 in Saturday’s sectional final at Wilder Field. Rowan Urbach, Thomas Kosovan, and Joe Balog all came through with run-scoring hits in the frame to break it open.

Ursuline didn’t waste any time getting on the board either. AJ Snyder singled home a run in the first, and a sac fly from Urbach in the third made it 3-0 before the big inning blew things wide open.

On the mound, Urbach was in full control. The righty went six strong, giving up just three hits with eight punchouts and two walks. Dom Polkovitch came on in the seventh and slammed the door shut with a clean inning.

The Irish tallied 10 hits on the day, with Balog, Triveri, Urbach, and CJ Snyder all picking up two knocks. Kosovan and Urbach each drove in a pair. And Ursuline was aggressive on the basepaths, swiping seven bags without a single error in the field—classic clean, pressure-packed baseball.

Niles’ Jonathan Barrell was a lone bright spot, going 2-for-3, but the Red Dragons couldn’t string anything together against the Irish staff. With the win, Ursuline is riding momentum straight into the district round.

URSULINE GETS THE LUCK IN A TIGHT ONE

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STRUTHERS OH- It was a classic pitcher’s duel on Thursday night, and Ursuline came out on top, squeaking past West Branch 2-1 thanks to a clutch sac fly and a masterclass on the mound from Anthony Triveri.

Triveri was flat-out filthy. The righty carved up the Warriors lineup, going the distance and fanning 12 while only giving up three hits and one walk across seven innings. He didn’t blink.

West Branch struck first in the third, when Anthony Perry knocked in a run with a sac fly. But Ursuline answered right back in the bottom half—CJ Snyder roped a single to center to even things up at 1-1.

It stayed deadlocked until the bottom of the sixth when Joe Balog stepped in and delivered the go-ahead sac fly that pushed the Irish out front for good.

Perry threw well for West Branch—six strong innings, two runs, four hits, seven Ks—but walks came back to bite him. Ursuline showed patience, working six free passes and making the most of every baserunner.

Snyder, AJ Snyder, Luke Stroney, and Thomas Kosovan all picked up hits for Ursuline. Balog and CJ Snyder drove in the runs. Triveri helped his own cause, drawing two walks at the plate.

West Branch had some wheels on display—Boston Mulinix swiped a pair and the Warriors racked up five steals total. They played clean defense too, not committing a single error, with Charlie Biskup leading the way with seven chances in the field. Ursuline moves on to face Howland on Monday.

URSULINE HITS THE ROAD AND PULLS OFF THE UPSET

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MADISON OH-  Ursuline put together a complete team win on Thursday, smacking 17 hits and riding a lights-out performance in the circle to beat Madison 12-2 in five innings in the sectional finals.

Eva Camuso was seeing beach balls at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles and a triple. Every swing seemed to find the gap, and she piled up RBI after RBI while setting the tone from the jump.

The Irish wasted no time getting on the board. Camuso ripped a double down the line to get it started in the first, and Kayla Sztary followed with a run-scoring single to make it 2-0 before Madison could blink.

Things stayed hot in the third—Katie Koulianos doubled to deep center, Camuso smoked a triple to the wall, and Mackenzie Smith added an RBI knock of her own. Just like that, Ursuline was in full control.

In the fifth, the Irish unloaded. Lila Jones cashed in two with a single, Brooke Burton added an RBI double, Koulianos brought another home, and Camuso capped her monster day with yet another RBI double.

Emma Davies was just as dominant on the other side of the ball, striking out 11 and giving up just four hits and two runs in a five-inning gem. She walked three but kept the Blue Streaks off balance all game.

Ursuline’s offense was locked in—Camuso and Koulianos each went 3-for-3 back-to-back in the order, while Burton, Sztary, and Davies all had multi-hit days. Every inning felt like pressure for Madison.

The Blue Streaks couldn’t find much rhythm at the dish, but they did turn a nice double play and got a hit and RBI from Ally Negin, plus a pair of stolen bases from Gianna LaMarco.

MCDONALD BATS COME ALIVE AT YSU

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YOUNGSTOWN OH- McDonald and Ursuline lit up the scoreboard Tuesday at YSU in a wild one, but it was the Blue Devils who held on for an 11-10 win in a slugfest that had everything—big innings, clutch hits, and late-inning drama.

McDonald jumped out early and built up a six-run cushion by the sixth, but Ursuline didn’t go quietly. The Irish stormed back with a five-run sixth to make it a one-run ballgame, but the Devils shut the door just in time.

Ursuline struck first behind a Katie Koulianos RBI single in the opening frame. McDonald answered in the third with a four-run burst—Aubrey Evans drove in one, Alexis Hvisdak walked in another, and Addison Grewell ripped a two-run double.

The Irish tied it up in the fourth behind a Kayla Sztary triple and a Blue Devil miscue. They briefly took the lead in the fifth thanks to an Eva Camuso single that made it 5-4.

Then came the sixth. McDonald flipped the script with a seven-run rally fueled by three hits and a couple of freebies. Grewell delivered the knockout punch with another two-run double deep in the count.

Ursuline wasn’t done, though. In the bottom half of the sixth, an error scored one, Lila Jones punched an RBI single, and Koulianos launched a three-run bomb to left to pull the Irish within one. But that’s where the comeback stopped.

Gianna Mancini picked up the win for McDonald, going 5.1 innings and working around eight hits and eight runs (only four earned). Evans came in for relief work late. On the other side, Emma Davies took the loss for Ursuline, striking out nine over four innings of gritty work. Ireland O’Hara started the game and threw three innings of solid ball.

McDonald tallied 10 hits in the win. Grewell was huge out of the eight-hole, going 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs. Kayla Helco and Sophia Pecchia each had multi-hit games, and Pecchia also drew two of the team’s six walks.

Ursuline matched McDonald with 10 hits of their own. Koulianos was a spark plug, finishing a perfect 3-for-3 with 4 RBIs, including that huge homer. Camuso chipped in a pair of hits as well.

In a game that felt more like a playoff preview than a regular season clash, McDonald found just enough to outlast the Irish in a classic.

IRISH KEEP THEIR EYE ON THE PRIZE

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CANFIELD OH-  Ursuline came out swinging and built a five-run cushion by the third inning, then held off a late Canfield push to lock down a 6-4 win on Tuesday.

The Irish got things rolling early with a sac fly and a clean RBI single to jump ahead in the first. They turned it up in the third—stringing together a single, a triple, and another base knock to stretch the lead to 5-0.

Canfield didn’t go quietly. They clawed back with a couple of doubles and a single to chip away at the deficit, but the Irish bullpen slammed the door late to hang on.

Dom Polkovitch picked up the win after grinding through five-plus innings. He scattered 10 hits and four runs—three earned—while fanning two and walking a pair. Joe Balog came on late and nailed down the save.

At the plate, the Irish spread the wealth. Triveri, Kollar, and CJ Snyder each racked up two hits. Balog drove in a pair out of the eight-hole, and the team stayed aggressive on the basepaths with six total swipes—including multiple bags from both Snyder and Stroney.

Canfield matched Ursuline with 10 hits, led by Ryan Weibling’s 3-for-4 day and a two-hit showing from Louie Zorella, but couldn’t quite get the big hit when it mattered most. Ursuline hits the road next for a tough test at Austintown-Fitch on Wednesday.

RECORD INNING SETS THE TONE FOR RANGE OVER IRISH

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CANFIELD, OH- South Range brought the thunder on Monday, hammering Ursuline 17-0 behind a clinic from Sophia Brogan and a lights-out effort from Ashley Rupert.

Brogan was the spark and the fire. She went 4-for-4 at the dish with 4 RBIs, crushing a three-run homer to center and ripping a run-scoring double—all in a ridiculous second inning that saw the Raiders post 14 runs.

That inning was chaos for Ursuline. Heidi Bartels kickstarted it with a triple to right, Giada Pauline knocked in a run with a sharp single, Gabby Spooner dropped down a perfect squeeze bunt, and Solena DeJesus drove in a pair. South Range took advantage of two dropped third strikes and a costly error to keep the line moving. And Brogan? She capped the rally with a no-doubt shot to dead center, bringing home three more.

The Raiders weren’t done. In the third, Lilah Angus and Katie Dance each roped RBI singles to extend the lead to 17-0.

Rupert controlled the game from the circle, striking out eight while giving up just two hits and one walk in five innings of shutout ball. She got plenty of help from her defense—South Range turned a clean double play and played error-free all afternoon. Bartels led the way defensively with seven chances.

At the plate, the Raiders racked up 14 hits. Angus went 2-for-2, while DeJesus, Pauline, and Bartels each chipped in clutch hits and RBIs. The entire lineup did damage—every inning was loud.

With the win, South Range keeps rolling, the Lady Raiders will finish their NE8 tour Tuesday with Girard, then matchup with Orrville for the opening round of the OHSAA tournament.

 

HOBAN SLAMS THE DOOR ON THE IRISH

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STRUTHERS OH-  Hoban brought the heat Friday and shut the door on Ursuline with a 5-0 win that was all about pitching, timely hits, and some aggressive base running.

It took a few innings for the bats to wake up, but once they did, Hoban exploded in the fourth. Cade Marks came up clutch with a two-run single to break the game open. Grady Falkenstein followed with a sac fly, then Breyan Stewart and Colt Andrews added back-to-back RBI singles to make it a five-spot in the frame—and that’s all they’d need.

Jack Hardesty was lights out on the bump. The righty tossed a complete-game one-hitter, striking out eight and walking two. He kept Ursuline guessing all night and never let them get comfortable.

Falkenstein was a table-setter all game, going 3-for-4 at the top of the lineup. Hoban racked up 11 hits in total, with Nico Cella, Andrews, and Dashel Hemlick each picking up multi-hit days. They also wreaked havoc on the bases, swiping four bags to keep the Irish defense on edge.

Ursuline’s lone hit came from Anthony Triveri, and while they did flash some leather with a double play, they just couldn’t get anything going offensively.

Hoban stays on the road Saturday, heading to take on Steele. If Hardesty’s performance is any indication, teams better be ready—these Knights are dialed in.

KNIGHTS RALLY AT THE ROUND TABLE

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AKRON, Ohio — The Archbishop Hoban Knights showed resilience and offensive depth on Tuesday evening, rallying from a 4-0 hole to earn a 9-6 victory over the Ursuline Fighting Irish in non-conference softball action.

Hoban (13-6) fell behind early, giving up three runs in the first inning and another in the second. But the Knights responded with a five-run third inning to seize the momentum. They continued to apply pressure, tacking on three more runs in the fourth and another insurance run in the sixth to complete the comeback.

Key contributors for the Knights included Savannah Regan, who reached base three times and went 1-for-2 with a double, an RBI, two walks, and a run scored. Mya Akers also played a major role in the win, finishing 1-for-2 with two RBIs, two walks, and a run scored. Both seniors sparked critical rallies in the middle innings that helped shift the game in Hoban’s favor, you can hear from them below!

Madison Shenigo added to the offensive production with a 2-for-4 performance that included a double and an RBI. Sophia Neilson also delivered with a 1-for-2 line, a double, two walks, an RBI, and two runs scored. Adeline Herstich chipped in with a pair of hits, including a double, while Gracelyn Schultz and Elli Weigand each contributed by reaching base and scoring runs.

Schultz also handled pitching duties in relief, earning the win with five solid innings. She allowed six hits and two earned runs while striking out seven and walking four. Alivia Havanas started in the circle, going two innings and surrendering three earned runs on two hits and three walks.Ursuline (5-12) was aggressive out of the gate, using early walks and timely hitting to build a 4-0 lead. Eva Camuso led the Irish with a 3-for-4 performance that included a double and two RBIs.

Katelyn Kennedy and Brooke O’Palick each added doubles and scored runs, while Katie Koulianos and Brooke Burton each drove in a run. Emma Davies took the loss in the circle, giving up five earned runs over four innings, while Bella Zamaria pitched the final two frames.

Hoban will look to carry its momentum into a home matchup against the Jackson Polar Bears (13-6) on Thursday, May 8 at 5 p.m. Ursuline aims to bounce back that same evening when it travels to take on the Mathews Mustangs (15-4)