WELLINGTON — Christine Lyzen pitches sparingly but effectively for Columbia’s Class C softball team.
The smoke-throwing ninth-grader, whose fastball has been clocked at 64 mph, struck out 13 Wellington Lightning batters Thursday night and pitched a one-hitter in a 9-3 victory.
The win, Lyzen’s fifth of the season, secured a Lorain-Medina OGSO district championship and earned Columbia [...]

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COLUMBIA STATION — A bunt single kept Columbia’s Jen Solanics from a perfect game in  a 10-0 Patriot Athletic Conference Stripes Division win Monday over Clearview. Solanics (7-2) struck out 11 and had two of the Raiders’ (17-4, 7-1) five extra-base hits.
Clearview    000    00    —    0    1    0
Columbia    234    01    —    10    8    0
PITCHING: (Columbia) [...]

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COLUMBIA STATION — When defensive miscues come in bunches against good teams, it does not matter how good a pitcher’s command is. The good teams will take advantage of the situations they are given and make opposing pitchers pay.
That is exactly what happened Wednesday when the Brookside Cardinals traveled to Cole Ross Field for a [...]

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COLUMBIA STATION — The work Jen Solanics put in this past offseason is already paying off for the Columbia Raiders.
Solanics, who threw 12 innings in one game and 11 in another thus far this season, added to her impressive resume with a dominating 6-0 victory over Admiral King (2-1) at Cole Ross Field on Thursday [...]

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COLUMBIA STATION — An error kept Columbia’s Jen Solanics from having a perfect game as the Raiders trounced Cuyahoga Heights 13-0 Wednesday in the softball season opener for both teams.
Solanics ended up facing the minimum (15), as the Redskin who reached on the error was caught stealing.
Cuy. Hts.    000    00    —    0    0    0
Columbia    166    [...]

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Collin Palmer paces along the side of the mat like a hungry tiger preparing for meal time. He stares across at his opponent as if the opponent is an unknowing gazelle about to be attacked. Finally the referee’s whistle goes off to signify the start of the match and fear fills the eyes of his [...]

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WELLINGTON — When they finally decided to play defense the way they know how, Columbia’s girls began to realize their potential Wednesday night.
Defense and the turnovers it caused helped the Raiders produce a 15-2 second-half run against Laurel School that not only erased a 10-point deficit. It also put Columbia in control by the time [...]

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COLUMBIA STATION — The Columbia Raiders proved midseason conditioning and midseason form aren’t the same thing Tuesday. However, they still prevailed over visiting Brookside, 42-39, in a Patriot Athletic Conference nail-biter.
Although they led throughout most of the game and by nine at 37-28 with less than five minutes to play, the Raiders saw their lead [...]

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LAGRANGE — Either the Columbia girls lost their offense somewhere in the snow-blown Lorain County tundra or the Keystone Wildcats’ defense was on top of its game in defeating the visiting Raiders, 53-24, Wednesday night.
It was probably the latter as the Wildcats’ 2-3 zone kept the visitors away from the bucket all night in limiting [...]

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Lou Rotunda, known as Mr. Elyria Catholic, attended the Panthers season opener Friday. Rotunda, who is a legendary coach and supporter of Elyria Catholic athletics, was introduced before the game and received a loud (and well-deserved) ovation from the crowd. Following EC’s win over Columbia, the Panthers players went from their bench into the crowd [...]

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