Fitch's dream season ends

Akron recruit Julie Boyes pitched a three-hitter as Uniontown Lake won 11-1.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
AKRON -- Perhaps the best sports reversal ever in the Mahoning Valley ended Wednesday at the hands of one of the state's finest softball pitchers.
In a Division I regional semifinal at the University of Akron's Buchtel Field, Uniontown Lake senior Julie Boyes, a future Zip, tossed a three-hitter in a five-inning, 11-1 win over Federal League rival Austintown Fitch.
Led by first-year coach Melody Rice, the Falcons' season ended with 16-10 record -- 15 more victories than in 2004.
"They are a well-coached team and by far the most improved team in the Federal League," said Lake coach Ed Lantzer, who guided the Blue Streaks to the state championship game last year.
"I knew they were going to be better, but we weren't expecting this big of a turnaround."
After losing to the Blue Streaks (26-3) 4-0 and 6-0 in Federal League games, the Falcons knew they would have their hands full.
Keeping it close
They kept Wednesday's game close when Falcons senior pitcher Jen Purnell left the bases loaded by striking out Brittany Stefano to end the first inning.
"We were really fired up for this game, but we got off to a slow start, putting people on base but not getting them in," said Boyes, who had three of Lake's 15 hits. "But we knew that the hits would start falling. It's very unusual for us not to score in the first two innings."
The game remained scoreless until the third inning when Erin Nabors' two-out single scored Hallie Pettigrew. Tina Hilbish drove in two more runs with a base hit for Lake's 3-0 lead.
Boyes retired the first 10 Falcons she faced, but she needed 13 pitches to strike out Purnell in her first at-bat. Purnell fouled off nine pitches to extend her plate time.
"They definitely hit better than the first two times -- they made the adjustments," said Boyes, who added that she believes batters have the advantage in seeing her multiple times. "[Pitchers] don't have the advantage you do when you see a team for the first time because they know what you are going to throw. It works both ways -- we have seen [Purnell] three times."
Getting on the board
The Falcons scored their run after Staci Balkan doubled to deep left-center to break up Boyes' perfect game in the fourth inning. Nicole Smaldino singled her home.
Freshman Kate Ferree doubled in the fifth inning, but a groundout and two strikeouts kept her on third base.
"Lake is definitely an exceptional team," Rice said.
Boyes said she wasn't surprised by how the Falcons made contact.
"They went right after me -- I was impressed," Boyes said. "They came swinging -- they were not scared at all. They came right at me -- a lot of teams don't."
Lantzer said Boyes "was not at her best but that was because of Fitch. It wasn't that Julie didn't have her stuff -- I just think that Fitch came in with the determination to make a better showing this time than the first two teams we saw them. They are a good hitting team."
The first five Blue Streaks reached base to begin the fourth inning, forcing Rice to lift Purnell for Kara Warren. Lake scored six times in the fourth inning and twice in the sixth to end the game.
"It's hard to beat a team three times -- I give them props for doing that," said Purnell (15-10), who has given a verbal commitment to play at Gannon. "It's harder for a pitcher than a batter. You see me three times, you get to time me up. It just wasn't my day."
Third baseman Andrea Lucente, outfielder Bre Alleman and substitute Ashley Creatore joined Purnell in playing their final varsity game.
"Looking at the big picture after playing with Ashley, Andrea and Bre, we have accomplished so much this year," Purnell said. "We are going to hold our head high -- there is nothing wrong with losing in the regional semi game."
williams@vindy.com