Top-seed Clay to face Start in City softball semifinal tonight; ND takes on SU
5/13/2006The pairings for tonight's City League softball playoff semifinals were set Thursday when first-place Clay held off a late rally to beat visiting Central Catholic 4-3 and thus knock the Irish out of the fourth and final playoff spot.
Top-seeded Clay (19-5, 11-0 CL) will take on fourth-seeded Start (10-8, 7-4), and second-seeded Notre Dame (20-6, 10-1) will battle arch-rival St. Ursula (20-4, 8-3) at Detwiler Park. Both games are scheduled for 8 p.m., with the CL championship game set for tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Detwiler.
Central (14-3, 7-4) tied Start for fourth place, but lost the playoff berth on a tie-breaker because it lost to Start in league play.
DISTRICTS: In Division I district semifinal action set for Tuesday, St. Ursula will take on Whitmer and Notre Dame will face Southview at Rolf Park in Maumee. At Bowling Green High School, Anthony Wayne battles Findlay. All three games begin at 5 p.m.
In Division II, the Maumee-Eastwood district semifinal at Rolf Park is scheduled for Monday at 5 p.m. In Division IV, Ottawa Hills battles North Baltimore at Gibsonburg in a district semifinal Tuesday at 5 p.m.
GENOA-ELMWOOD POSTPONED: Yesterday's much-anticipated Suburban Lakes League showdown between second-ranked Elmwood (21-3, 11-1 SLL) and third-ranked Genoa (21-1, 11-1) at Genoa was postponed by rain. It is rescheduled for May 20 at 1 p.m. The Comets won the first meeting between the two teams, 1-0 in 12 innings.
The Division III district semifinals have Genoa hosting Rossford and Elmwood hosting Gibsonburg Tuesday at 5 p.m., with the winners meeting for the district title at Bowling Green High School Thursday at 5 p.m.
Genoa won its sectional final 9-0 Thursday over Lake when Shana Szypka threw a perfect game and struck out 17 batters. It was her sixth no-hitter of the season.
- Steve Junga