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March’s arm propels Tigers
By Tom Williams
Boardman
Right fielder Alyse March turned in a memorable performance during Howland’s softball sectional win over Canfield.
In the fourth inning of the Tigers’ 3-2 victory at the Fields of Dreams, March erased Canfield baserunner Laura Beck with a strong peg to third baseman Tori McCormick,
An inning later, the Cardinals had the bases loaded with one out when Gina Mancini hit a sacrifice fly to shallow right field. Cardinals baserunner Ali Prologo tagged up and headed for home, then reversed course when she saw March’s throw reach catcher Emily Price.
Price tagged her out to end the Canfield threat and help the Tigers advance to today’s Division I district semifinal.
“At the end of the game, I told her ‘Roberto, you played a great game,’ ” said Howland coach Bill Amero, referring to Pirates Hall of Famer Robert Clemente and not March’s teammate Carmella Ruberto.
“And she asked me why I called her [by Carmella’s name],” Amero said. “I told her she played right field like Roberto Clemente, the greatest right fielder. And she has no idea who he is.”
Not exactly. March said she’s watched enough baseball with her dad to have heard of Roberto Clemente.
March said she’s been seeing plenty of action behind first and second base.
“I’ve had a lot of flyballs hit to me, I think I’ve had more hit to me than center and left have seen this year,” March said “I like it a lot.”
Although Canfield and Howland are league rivals, Thursday’s game was their first of the season.
The Tigers (13-4) made the three runs they scored in the second inning hold up. McCormick singled and scored on a wild pitch by Canfield’s Sarah Vrabel.
With two outs, Ruberto singled and Julia Sheffield walked. Olivia Nicholas singled into right field to score Ruberto.
“I was just trying to make contact to move the runners,” said Nicholas, the Tigers’ number-nine hitter. “I was really happy because it [extended our rally].”
Amero was pleased.
“We have not been getting production from the bottom part of our order [so] those kids came through in that inning,” Amero said.
Winning pitcher Hayley Marchio followed with another two-out RBI single for a 3-0 lead.
“We had one bad inning,” said Canfield coach Ronie Haurin whose team was without starting pitcher Carlee Hart because of mononucleosis. “We made too many mistakes.”
In the fifth inning, Kayley Keller scored the Cards’ first run when Prologo’s sacrifice attempt led to a Tigers’ error.
Beck led off the sixth inning with a solo homer to cut Howland’s lead to one run.
“I was nervous,” Amero said. “Canfield is always scrappy. Until I saw that third out called in the top of the seventh, I wasn’t comfortable. “Plus you’re playing a on a field with a much shorter fence. All it takes is one swing and it’s a new ball game.”