Elyria (28-6) hung with top-ranked North Canton Hoover (30-2) for six out of seven innings, and it took a two-run home run by Hoover's McKenna Russ in the top of the sixth to give the Vikings their third state championship in school history, winning 2-0 at Brookside Park.

Sophomore starter Megan Bashak (17-3) began the fateful sixth by walking Abbey Lindeman. It was Bashak's first walk issued since Elyria's 7-2 district semifinal win over Westlake on May 20, snapping a streak of 26 innings without a base on balls.

Until that point, Hoover had gotten runners on base in the second, third and fourth innings, but Bashak kept slamming the door as she's done throughout the postseason.

Hoover had previously beaten Elyria, 11-0, at the Keystone Classic back in April. Viking pitcher Jessica Simpson (28-2) threw a perfect game that day. This time around, it wasn't that easy.

Simpson held Elyria to just four hits yesterday, and had retired the side in order in the first three innings. However, the Pioneers made some noise in the fourth and sixth.

With one out in the fourth, Andrea Nagy singled to left-center on an 0-2 pitcher. Freshman Tess Sito walked on four pitches to bring up cleanup hitter Jen Bower.

Bower was dealt three straight balls before taking a strike. On the next pitch, she bunted to the right. First baseman Ali Lindeman bobbled the ball, but recovered to throw out Bower for the second out.

With the runners in scoring position, the bunt seemed to let Simpson off the hook. She coaxed Bashak to ground out to short to end the inning and the threat.

Bashak led off the seventh with a single, but with one out, Sarah Bracey lined out to short. Bashak strayed too far off the bag and was doubled up to end the inning and the game.

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