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Canfield’s third win over Poland gives Cardinals district title
By Tom Williams
ALLIANCE
On a beautiful day for pond hockey, the Canfield High softball team completed a treasured hat trick.
Behind Abby Baker’s five-hit shutout, the Cardinals defeated archrival Poland, 4-0, in Friday’s Division II district final at Alliance High School. The victory was Canfield’s third of the season against their All-American Conference archrivals.
“It’s the greatest feeling ever,” said Canfield senior right fielder Sydney Opladen, who had two of Canfield’s four hits. “This year has been amazing, beating them three times.”
Baker, who struck out six, walked none and hit one batter, agreed.
“I give Poland so much credit,” Baker (15-7) said. “They have set the bar so high, which is awesome for us.”
The Cardinals earned their first district title since 2008, the year Canfield won the state title.
During the Erin Gabriel-Jenna Modic years, Poland was the Mahoning Valley’s Division II district champion from 2009-12. The Bulldogs went to state three times, winning the title in 2011 and finishing runner-up in 2010.
“This season, we sat down and said, ‘They beat us three times last year, it’s time to return the favor,’ ” Baker said. “And we did it — it’s such a great feeling.”
Opladen scored twice and had a run-scoring single in the third inning when the Cardinals (18-8) scored twice. Kayley Keller doubled to drive in the other run.
In the fifth inning, Opladen and sophomore shortstop Rachel Tinkey scored.
The Bulldogs had scoring opportunities — four of their five stranded baserunners were in scoring position.
“She’s a heck of a competitor,” Poland coach Matt Campbell said of Baker. “All year long, she’s been their workhorse. She brought her A game, kept us off-balance with her pitches — up and down, in and out.”
Baker said the game-time temperature of 43 degrees didn’t bother her, but anticipation did.
“I started off really nervous — my adrenaline rush was at a very unhealthy rate,” Baker said. “It was exciting all day at school so [finally] getting on that mound felt really good.
“I would much rather play in [cold] because I hate sweating on the mound,” Baker said. “I’d rather play with Under Armour on than when it’s 85 degrees.”
Baker had plenty of help behind her. Senior second baseman Alexa Schmidt made a diving catch to snare Kathryn Wilson’s line drive in the third inning. Schmidt ended the game when Wilson hit another liner at her and she threw to first baseman Darby Cockrell for a double play.
“This is huge,” said Schmidt of earning a regional trip. “Abby did really well. She hit her spots — she was on it today.”
In the fifth inning, Tinkey went hard to her left, spun around and then fired to first to retire leadoff batter Aleah Hughes.
Tinkey, a sophomore, shrugged off the suggestion that her spin-a-rama — shades of Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane or Youngstown Phantoms forward Sam Anas — was anything special.
“It was just momentum that kind of took me into that move,” Tinkey said. “Sometimes it happens in practice.”
That out proved valuable as Anna Barnhart and Wilson followed with two-out singles.
“To beat a good team like this one is really difficult,” Canfield coach Ray Melewski said. “We played good defense, our seniors came through.
“Abby pitched her butt off and we hit the ball when we needed to.”
Trevis had two hits — including a double — for the Bulldogs (22-8). She also was hit by a pitch in her final varsity game.