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Seventh-inning rally sends Canfield to district final
Photo
Home plate umpire Rick Anon signals that Canfield’s Rebecca Armstrong is safe as she slides into the plate to score the winning run ahead of the tag by Lakeview catcher Samantha Marino during their Division II district softball semifinal Thursday at Alliance High School. The Cardinals scored three runs in the seventh inning to rally past the Bulldogs and win 6-5. Canfield advances to the final today against the Poland Bulldogs, who downed the West Branch Warriors, 6-4, in Thursday’s other Division II semifinal, also at the high school.
Seventh-inning rally sends Canfield to district final
By Tom Williams
ALLIANCE
Three outs away from a district final appearance, the Lakeview High softball team ran into a runaway train called Rachel Tinkey.
The Canfield junior took full advantage of an infield error to score from first base to tie Thursday’s Division II district semifinal at Alliance High School.
In the next at-bat, Karina Kennedy singled and another error allowed pinch-runner Becky Armstrong to race home with the winning run in Canfield’s 6-5 victory.
“She has incredible wheels,” said Tinkey of Armstrong, a freshman who played junior varsity. “She’s so fast, she made a good slide into home.”
Today at 5 p.m. at Alliance High, Canfield (21-5) will play Poland (20-8) for the district title. Canfield and Poland shared the All-American Conference Red Division after splitting their two regular-season games.
Lakeview (14-4) took a 5-3 lead to the bottom of the seventh inning.
“We were hoping that she didn’t beat us,” Lakeview head coach Vicki Lawrence said of Tinkey. “And she did.”
Bulldogs starter Taylor Waid scattered seven hits in the first six innings as the Cards stranded six baserunners.
“She got us to go after pitches we don’t normally go after,” Canfield head coach Ray Melewski said of Waid. “She had us off-balance.”
Maura Kennedy led off Canfield’s last at-bat with a double. Tinkey, whose three hits included a homer and double, was intentionally walked.
One out later, sophomore Amelia Manetti hit the ball sharply to shortstop Laura Innocenzi. Her throw to third base sailed wide, allowing Kennedy to score.
Right behind her was Tinkey who took off when the ball was hit and had rounded second when she saw the ball roll into foul territory.
“I went on contact and saw the ball go to the fence and it died,” Tinkey said. “I just kept going.”
Tinkey said she wasn’t certain her gamble would pay off.
“I was hoping,” Tinkey said. “She made a nice throw and I just got under it.”
Melewski said the Cards “are very aggressive base-running. We always push. We tell [our players] to make them throw you out.”
Tinkey said the Cards, who have no seniors, kept their cool despite trailing 4-1 early and 5-3 late.
“The biggest thing for us is we didn’t hit the panic button,” Tinkey said. “We’ve been in some close games.
“Give Lakeview credit — they played tremendously.”
Senior Hannah Petrosky scored three runs for the Bulldogs, including one in the first inning on Waid’s two-out single.
Kylee Mann doubled to lead off Lakeview’s three-run second inning against Canfield starter Kayla Troxil (8-0). Brooke Waid singled to score Mann and Caitlin McDivitt hit a two-out, two-run double for a 4-1 lead.
In the third inning, Tinkey sliced the lead to one with a two-run homer.
“I thought it was going to be a sacrifice fly,” Tinkey said. “I didn’t think it was going out, but the wind helped it a little bit.”
Petrosky doubled and scored the Bulldogs’ other run in the fifth inning.
Taylor Waid, Innocenzi, McDivitt, Lauren Casassa and Kat Scott are the Bulldogs’ other seniors.
“We’re happy with the season but not with how it ended,” Lawrence said.