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Canfield wins Central Region title
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Canfield’s Ellie Dundics, left, hugs teammate Maddy Johns (2) after Johns batted in the game-winning run Thursday in the bottom of the eighth inning of the 13-14 Junior League Central Region championship against South Portage (Mich.) at Akron’s Firestone Stadium. Canfield won 2-1 and earned a berth in the Junior League World Series this weekend in Kirkland, Wash. Inclement weather on Wednesday had forced the teams to continue play Thursday.
Johns’ single drives home game-winning run
By Tom Williams
AKRON
Maddy Johns’ biggest hit had some distance, enough to send Canfield’s 13-14 softball team 2,500 miles west for the Junior League World Series.
With one out in the bottom of the eighth inning of Thursday’s Junior League Central Region championship game, Johns hit a line-drive single to right-center field to score Amelia Manenti from second base, giving Canfield a 2-1 victory over South Portage (Mich.) at Firestone Stadium.
“[Winning] was everything that we’ve ever hoped for,” Canfield second baseman Ally Sammarco said. “That was our biggest dream, to win this.”
The victory gives Canfield a berth in the Junior League World Series that begins Sunday in Kirkland, Wash.
“As soon as it hit the bat, I felt that it was going [far enough],” said Johns, Canfield’s third baseman. “When I saw it in the gap, I was rounding first. I was in shock, I started crying — never had a hit that meant more than this.”
Manenti, Canfield High’s catcher this past spring, doubled into the left-field corner to set up Johns. She said playing in the Division II regional in late May helped her deal with the pressure.
“For me, it was the second time around, but it was still big,” Manenti said. “Both were big games.
“I had a feeling we were going to win,” said Manenti, who added that she knew right away that she would be running hard after her swing connected. “It felt like a good, solid hit.”
Kayla Troxil relieved Canfield starter Bridget Durkin in the fifth inning to pick up the victory, shutting out South Portage for four innings. She allowed three hits, walked none and struck out four.
Troxil said she didn’t know she would be pitching until manager Kerry Durkin sent her out to the mound.
“Bridget is a great pitcher but I was so ready, I wanted to win so badly,” Troxil said. “It’s unreal — our spirits were so high.”
The game began Wednesday afternoon and was halted by rain after two scoreless innings.
Bridget Durkin admitted it was a little difficult getting revved up for a 9 a.m. start.
“I just didn’t feel the same as I did yesterday,” Durkin said. “Then we had a huddle and I felt good.”
She had no problem with moving to first base when Troxil came on.
“She did a really good job, she’s a great pitcher,” Durkin said.
Kerry Durkin said he made the switch to try and baffle the South Portage batters.
“Kayla’s change-up is probably a little more refined than Bridget’s,” Durkin said. “I thought we could keep them off-balance.
“Their coach [Dennis Cole] asked me, ‘What were you throwing my girls?’ I said it was the change-up,” Durkin said. “He said, ‘You did your homework, didn’t you?’ ”
In Canfield’s first at-bat on Thursday, Bridget Sweeney singled with one out and advanced on a wild pitch. She came home when a ground ball hit by Durkin bounced under second baseman Lexie Hughes’ glove.
South Portage tied the game when Canfield made two errors in the fourth inning. Christine Taylor reached when Johns bobbled her grounder to open the inning. Paige Poulter doubled to right field to score Taylor then took third after a wild throw.
Durkin escaped the jam when Maddie Bell lined out to center fielder Maura Kennedy. Durkin then struck out the next two batters to strand Poulter.
Hannah McQueen took the loss for South Portage.
“She was hitting her corners real well, and we had to adjust because we’re not used to that,” Johns said of McQueen. “She had really good speed, but nothing we haven’t seen before.”
Canfield finished with seven hits and South Portage five.
Manenti said McQueen’s riseball “really threw us off, especially in the earlier innings. Her change-ups [fooled] us a little bit.”