Eagles win by Quinn; Devils hammer Jackets

Notre Dame celebrates Quinn Sobieszczanski’s home run as Anthony Wayne players gather on the mound.

Call it a Quinn win for the Notre Dame Eagles in a tight, well-pitched and played Division I district semifinal game on Tuesday.

Notre Dame sophomore Quinn Sobieszczanski drove in both of her team’s runs, including a game-winning RBI double in the eighth inning. Sobieszczanski also hit a solo home run to lead the Eagles 2-1 over Anthony Wayne in extra innings at Rolf Park in Maumee.

In the top of the eighth, Notre Dame finally broke through the Generals’ unhittable pitcher, sophomore Kaitlyn Ray, who struck out 14 batters and allowed just two hits.

Amanda Del Monte doubled to the fence in right-center with one out. Then Sobieszczanski drove a line shot in the alley in right-center to plate Del Monte.

“It felt really good to pick my team up like that,” Sobieszczanski said.

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Notre Dame (18-8) advances to face Springfield (19-4) in the D-I district championship game on Friday. The Blue Devils beat Perrysburg 12-1 in six innings in the other semifinal.

Notre Dame starter Cassie Gillespie only struck out one but was equally effective, yielding just one run on six hits.

Ray featured an overpowering fastball mixed with effective off-speed pitches but did not start. Anthony Wayne starter Allyson Graf allowed Sobieszczanski’s homer in the second.

“We knew all it would take was one bolt of lightning,” said Notre Dame coach Norm Kujawa.

Ray replaced Graf and struck out nine of the next 12 batters.

Anthony Wayne coach Ron Meyers said the sophomore has been injured all season long, but the Generals are still 18-5. “... we tried to change up the timing through the first time through the lineup,” he said.

The Generals’ offense struck for their only run in the bottom of the second inning. Emma Hoffman singled and then Alexis Reihing smashed a two-out double to the fence in right to plate Hoffman, tying it at 1.

In the other game, Springfield scored three runs in the first and led 4-1 after three. The Blue Devils then scored eight more in the sixth to win by the mercy rule.

Lexi Buck went 3-for-4 with a home run and had three RBIs. Kiley Aller had three singles, while Bre Buck had an RBI double. Kierra Hague also had an RBI double.

Perrysburg (10-15) got its lone run on an RBI by Tylah Remaley in the third.

The district final is at 5 p.m. on Friday at Rolf Park.

Contact Mark Monroe at: mmonroe@theblade.com, 419-724-6354 or on Twitter @MonroeBlade.