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Falcons survive late trouble in district semifinal
Photo
Fitch’s Cali Mikovich (3) throws to home plate to get an out against Stow during a Division I district semifinal at Fields of Dreams in Boardman. Fitch won, 8-6.
By Tom Williams
BOARDMAN
The biggest win in eight years for the Austintown Fitch High softball team came with a pulse-pounding ending.
Ahead 8-2 going to the bottom of the seventh inning of Tuesday’s Division I district semifinal against Stow, the Falcons were jolted to life when the Bulldogs scored four times and put two more runners on base.
Then Erin Kolke popped out to freshman pitcher Alex Franken to give the Falcons an 8-6 victory and their first district win since 2005, when they advanced to the regional.
“We were all holding our breath a little bit, players and coaches included,” Fitch coach Melody Ward said of the final inning. “But I saw something in Alex’s eyes on the mound.
“I saw poise well beyond her years.”
The game almost ended three at-bats earlier, when with two outs Chrissie Vaughn hit a ground ball to Franken (19-7), who fired a sinker to first baseman Gabby Butcher. The ball dropped out of Butcher’s glove, allowing two runs to score for an 8-5 score.
Stephanie Little and Landry Slider followed with singles before Kolke’s popout ended the game.
“She knew that [one] play didn’t go our way, but she was going to end this game and she was going to get the win for us,” Ward said. “She just has that kind of determination.”
The Falcons (19-7) will play Aurora (22-1) in today’s district championship game, also at Fields of Dreams.
The Falcons pounded Bulldogs starter Sadie Jones (16-7), scoring three runs in the first and second innings, Cali Mikovich, Alex Corradi, Franken, Butcher and Mercedes Pratt all singled in their first at-bat.
Katee Sweeney continued the hit parade with a second-inning double. After Mikovich singled, senior Alana Callahan smacked a hard shot under shortstop Lindsay Jones’ glove into left field for a double. Corradi’s sacrifice fly made it 6-0.
“I think it’s actually incredible to have this good of a team before leaving high school,” Callahan said of getting to play at least one more game. “We’re leaving with a bang. Top to bottom, we had our bats going.”
The gloves also were a factor. Franken caught two line drives on the mound, one in the seventh inning.
And Corradi made a tremendous catch to end the second inning with Stow (22-7) leaving the bases loaded. Sadie Jones popped the ball down the the left-field line. Corradi raced with her back to the plate and twisted to catch the ball and end the threat.
“The bases were loaded and I knew I had to come through,” Corradi said, “I felt like I had it,”
Mikovich sparked the Falcons’ attack with four hits and three runs scored. Callahan had two sacrifices while Butcher doubled and scored the seventh run in the third inning.