** The Massey Marathon**
Salem 2, Canton 1 * May 6, 2010

The two teams' starting pitchers -- Canton's Amy Dunleavy (left) and Salem's Brianna Lee -- combined for 32 strikeouts.

Maksimovic's round-tripper propels Rocks over Chiefs in 14-inning thriller

BY ED WRIGHT
May 6, 2010, 11:35 p.m.

  The first batter and the last batter scored in Thursday night's unforgettable Salem-Canton girls softball game at Massey Field.

  Sandwiched between those two runs were three hours and 14 innings of some of the most remarkable action to ever unfold on the Massey Field diamond.

  Salem walked off with a 2-1 extra-inning victory when left-fielder Sam Maksimovic scored after clouting a towering fly ball over the head of Canton right-fielder Jessica Webster with one out in the bottom of the 14th.

  Salem starting pitcher Brianna Lee struck out 18 Chiefs while Canton starter Amy Dunleavy whiffed 14 Rocks in a classic pitchers' duel.

  "That's one of the best games I've seen," said Salem coach Bonnie Southerland, whose team improved to 10-8. "We've been struggling, so to come out and play like these girls did tonight makes me very proud."

  Maksimovic almost wasn't around for the dramatic finish. In the top of the 13th, she was struck by the ball just below her right jaw when Heidi Lucke's hard-hit double took a bad hop in left field.

  When Southerland jogged out to left field to check on the status of Maksimovic, who was doubled over in discomfort, she received an encouraging report.

  "I was going to pull her out," Southerland reflected. "I told her I needed to know, on a 1-to-10 scale, how she felt. I told her we needed her if she could play because she's one of our top defensive outfielders, and she said she'd be O.K."

  After Kelli Janiczek lined out to CarolAnn Sexauer to open the bottom half of the 14th, Maksimovic launched a towering shot over Webster's head. The ensuing relay throw was mishandled for a split second as Maksimovic rounded third, giving her a chance to score on a run-off round-tripper.

  "I wasn't about to stop her," said Southerland, who serves as the third-base coach. "She pounded it out there and she was motoring around the bases pretty good. You have to take advantage of the few opportunities you get in these games."

  The setback was the first of the season for the Chiefs, who will take a 14-1 record into Saturday's Canton Classic Tournament.

  "This one ranks right up there at the top," said Arnold, when asked where he placed Thursday's classic on the all-time list of Canton-Salem games. "They came ready to play, just like they always do when we play them.

  "Am I disappointed we didn't win? Definitely. But if I could start every season out 14-1, I'd be happy. They got the right hit at the right time, and we didn't."

  Both teams' starting pitchers -- Salem's Brianna Lee and Canton's Amy Dunleavy -- were brilliant. Lee struck out 18 and scattered seven hits, only four of which left the infield.

  Dunleavy was equally effective, K'ing 14 Rocks while yielding 11 hits.

  "Both pitchers were incredible tonight," said Southerland. "They're two of the best pitchers in the league, hands down, and I think everyone in our league would agree with that.

  "My hat's off to Bri. She pitched 10 innings yesterday and she pitched Monday, but it looked like she was getting stronger as the game went along."

  Canton scored its lone run in the top of the first when Dunleavy led off with a walk, advanced to second on Sam Partain's sacrifice bunt and scored two batters later when Lauren Leskovitz laced an RBI double.

  Salem threatened in the bottom of the second, putting runners at second and third with one out. However, Dunleavy got the next two batters to strike out and ground out.

  The Rocks nearly tied it in the fourth when, with one out, Lee ripped a laser up the left-center field gap. She was thrown out at the plate on a perfectly executed Leskovitz-to-CarolAnn Sexauer-to-Jesse Larner relay.

  Canton loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, but Lee induced the next batter to pop out for an inning-ending double play.

  Salem drew even in the seventh when Lee and Janiczek led off with back-to-back singles. After Lee was retired after getting caught in a pickle between second and third, Maksimovic flied out to right field.

  With two outs and two strikes against her, Rock designated hitter Jennifer First delivered an RBI single up the middle to send the game to extra frames.

  Canton advanced two runners as far as second base in the extra innings -- Katie Mattson in the ninth and Lucke in the 13th -- but couldn't get a clutch hit.

  Salem made things interesting in the 11th when Alexis Powell led off with a single. Lee's ensuing scorching line drive was speared by Sexauer before Janiczek walked.

  Dunleavy extinguished the rally by striking out the next two batters.

  Both teams flashed some serious leather.

  Canton left-fielder Alyssa Boucher made two stellar plays, including a diving grab on a sinking Lizzie Mazorowicz line drive in the third.

  Salem shortstop Heidi Schmidt also displayed a gold glove, especially in the 13th when she back-handed a hard-hit grounder off the bat of Webster, planted and threw out the speedy Chief on a bang-bang play.

  Ed Wright can be reached at (734) 453-1980 or info@plymouthcantonsports.com.


Salem's Brianna Lee and Heidi Schmidt discuss strategy while a pair of Rock infielders execute a between-innings hip bump Thursday night. (photo by Ed Wright)

Canton left-fielder Alyssa Boucher is congratulated by Sam Partain after making a third inning-ending diving catch. (photo by Ed Wright)