Fitch wins district crown over Canfield

By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BOARDMAN -- Austintown Fitch High's softball team is pinching itself to make sure what's happened this season is for real.
The Falcons, 1-21 last season, pulled out a 10-9 victory over Canfield Friday to capture the Division I district championship and advance to regional tournament play next week.
But it certainly wasn't easy.
The Falcons (15-9) trailed 4-0 after four innings. They rallied for six runs in the fifth inning, only to fall behind 8-6 when Canfield had a four-run rally.
But Fitch wouldn't quit, either; the Falcons scored four more runs in the sixth inning, including two on a home run by freshman catcher Kate Ferree, to take a 10-8 lead into the top of the seventh.
Final rally fails
Canfield (21-5) loaded the bases with no outs and cut the lead to 10-9 on a sacrifice fly by Danielle Spencer. After loading the bases again, Fitch senior pitcher Jen Purnell snared two ground balls for outs to end the contest.
"I've been playing softball all my life and I've never been involved in a game more exciting than this one," said Fitch coach Melody Rice.
The win improved the Falcons' record to 15-9, but more importantly put them into the regional tournament Wednesday at the University of Akron, where they will meet Uniontown Lake.
"These girls certainly deserve this," added Rice. "They've been working at it since last summer. They've taken on a different attitude this year and they've really wanted it all season long.
Attitude was difference
"Team chemistry and their attitude has made all the difference this year," Rice said. "They now have a winning attitude."
Canfield coach Fred Mayhew said that it was a shame that somebody had to lose.
"Neither team was going to quit out there," he said. "Give Fitch credit, they came back twice to win it."
The Cardinals had 15 hits and the Falcons finished with 12. There were only two times (once each) when either pitcher retired the side in order.
Freshman Lauren Sulick started for the Cardinals and had nine strikeouts into the fifth inning.
Sulick had the bases loaded in the first with no outs and struck out the next three Fitch hitters. In the third, there were runners on second and third with no outs and she didn't allow a run.
Canfield has early lead
The Cardinals scored one run in the second on Stephenie Zunic's lead-off home run and two more in the third on an RBI single by Lauren McGivern and a double by Jena Ervin.
They built the lead to 4-0 in the fourth on a double by Courtney Porter and a single by Bryanne Halfhill.
But in the fifth, Fitch sent 10 batters to the plate, got five hits, including a two-run double by Andrea Lucente, while Kara Warren, Ferree, Sam Kozbial and Bre Alleman all drove in runs as the Falcons took a 6-4 lead.
But the Cardinals came right back. With one out they put together four straight singles, had five for the inning, and when the smoke cleared Canfield was ahead, 8-6.
Game winning rally
Staci Balken led off the Falcons' sixth with a single and, with one out, Warren doubled to left-center. Lucente then hit her second double of the game and drove in both runners to tie the score at 8.
Ferree then slammed a pitch off relief pitcher Trisha Bettura in a line over the right field fence to put the Falcons ahead 10-8.
"I definitely wasn't looking to hit a home run," said Ferree. "In fact that's the first one I've hit this year, but I wanted to keep the rally going."
But things still weren't over as the Cardinals batted in the top of the seventh and Porter led off with a single, followed by Ashley Bleggi reaching on an error. Halfhill singled to left loading the bases.
Spencer then flew out to left with Porter scoring and Bettura singled to shallow center loading the bases again.
Final two putouts
McGivern hit a hard chopper back up the middle that Purnell grabbed and threw home for the force out. Kerrie Havrin followed with another come-backer to the mound, but Purnell handled that one too and threw to first for the final out.
"That was the most exciting game that I've ever been a part of," said Purnell (14-9), who has pitched all but one of the Falcons' games this season.
"This was a great win and a great year for the four seniors, we really deserved this after last year," Purnell said.
mollica@vindy.com