SOFTBALL Boardman, Poland clinch league titles

Fitch and Canfield shut out conference opponents.
BOARDMAN -- The road to the Steel Valley Conference softball championship continues to run through Boardman.
The Spartans beat Mooney 5-3 Thursday to run their SVC record to 7-0 and win the title outright for the second straight season.
Two years ago, Boardman and Fitch tied for the championship.
Senior Marissa Bartholomew (15-2) got the win and had a single and a double.
Senior Mary McCabe, junior Gina Rango and sophomore Jennifer Feret each had two singles for the Spartans (20-3), who have won nine straight.
Jennifer Pancake also doubled in an 11-hit Spartans' attack.
Adrianne Detesko had two of the four Mooney (13-8, 4-4) hits, both doubles.
Fitch 6, Ursuline 0: YOUNGSTOWN -- Fitch (15-9) jumped out to a 4-0 lead and Ursuline, held to two hits, wasn't able to score.
Joanna Fergus, Angela Zdelar and Jamie Wetzl led the Falcons with two hits apiece.
Winning pitcher Brianna Ozias (13-6) and Wetzl combined to scatter two hits and strike out nine.
Poland 6, Howland 3: POLAND -- Poland clinched a tie for the Metro Athletic Conference championship with a victory over Howland.
Sue Olesko had two singles and two RBIs for the Bulldogs (17-7, 7-2), who defeated Howland (13-10, 7-3) for the second straight day. The teams played in a Division II sectional title game Wednesday.
Stephanie Russell added two singles and an RBI for Poland, which got a complete game from pitcher Sarah Knill. Knill struck out one and walked two.
Poland can win the MAC title outright Monday by defeating Salem.
Canfield 15, Niles 0: NILES -- Canfield (16-7) scored at least one run in every inning, including eight in the second inning, to beat Niles in the MAC game.
Senior Lindsay Gaudiose (12-5) scattered three hits, struck out nine and didn't walk a batter in recording her seventh shutout of the season.
Sophomore Kelly Williams hit a double and two singles, drove in two runs, scored twice and stole a base for the Cardinals.
Julie Playforth, Stephanie Mistovich and Nikki Garrett each added two singles for Canfield, which finished 7-3 in the MAC.