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Copley second baseman Lizzie Fela makes a diving catch during Saturday's 6-5 district semifinal win over Medina at Barberton.
BARBERTON – Copley meet Wadsworth. Wadsworth, this is Copley.
After two highly dramatic Barberton Division I District semifinals, the top-seeded Indians and third-seeded Grizzlies will meet Monday in a district final for all the marbles.
It will be the third time the Suburban League rivals have faced each other and will be by far the most important game each has played this season.
“Winning is huge,” Wadsworth senior Alli Beery said. “They might have come out on top (in 11-0 and 5-1 regular season wins against the Grizzlies) earlier, but it’s a rivalry. The game was a lot closer the second time.”
That’s exactly how the Indians feel after they beat ninth-seeded Medina 6-5 on a walk-off base hit in the district semifinals Saturday.
Of course, the Grizzlies have confidence as well after a three-run seventh inning produced a 7-4 win over sixth-seeded Highland.
“It’s easier to believe in (us),” Copley pitcher MacKenzie Wallace said. “They say it’s always hard to beat a team three times, but Highland beat us three times last year and Tallmadge did it three times the year before. We’re ready to take it.”
That’s the attitude the Indians (20-1) will take on Monday after the dramatic game-ending hit by Hannah Selzer finally put away the Bees, who had tied it up in the top of the seventh inning on a two-out, two-run double by Stephanie Cunningham.
“I said, ‘I have to do it for Kenzie,’” Selzer said. “It means so much to be in that game. I told myself just get a hit and we win.”
Beery was thinking the same thing for Wadsworth as well, but her hit came in a much different fashion.
With the bases loaded and one out in the seventh, AnnMarie Kirchner (11-9) had nowhere to put Beery, who already had a two-run double earlier in the contest.
The University of Toledo recruit took one for the team, getting hit by the pitch to score Niki Weaver who had reached on an error to start the frame.
Alyssa Horton put things out of reach later in the inning with a two-out single to center to score Dana Gramuglia and Kelly Snodgrass.
“This was a big step for the kids because last year was devastating,” said Wadsworth coach Mike Schmeltzer of the Grizzlies’ 2-1 loss to Brunswick in the district semis. “I’ll tell you what. These kids are resilient. That loss really motivated them.”
Now – weather permitting – Copley-Wadsworth III will play out on the fields of Barberton’s Sports Complex.
If the Grizzlies win, it will be sweet redemption against a team that has been a thorn in their side all year.
Should the Indians win, it’ll be their first regional appearance in school history. Wadsworth hasn’t made the trip since 2000.
“I told this team on March 6 that we don’t have any banners in the gym,” Copley coach Glenn McCoy said. “I told them, it’ll be there at the end of the year, but we have to play Monday like we never played before.”