Protain provides go-ahead run for Fitch

May 10, 2015 at 12:06a.m.

By RYAN ROSKO

LIBERTY

Brianna Protain had three of Austintown Fitch’s seven hits, including a tie-breaking RBI double in the sixth inning as the Falcons edged Newton Falls 3-1 on Saturday in the Mahoning Valley Invitational at Liberty Township Park.

Protain doubled twice, singled and stole home for an insurance run in the sixth after her run-scoring double gave Fitch (10-13) a one-run lead.

“We kept our heads on the ball and if it was outside, we went, and if it was in, we took it to left field,” Protain said.

The teams traded solo home runs for a 1-1 tie after four innings. The Tigers’ Madison Spahlinger gave her team a short-lived 1-0 lead with her blast in the top of the fourth. The Falcons’ Sierra Pierce tied it with a home run in the bottom of the inning.

“We really just stayed focused throughout the whole game and when weren’t up, we didn’t hang our heads and make errors,” Pierce said.

Pierce came on in relief of starting pitcher Alex Franken and eventually got the victory. Franken scattered four hits and struck out six in her four innings.

Franken and Pierce also split the pitching duties in Fitch’s first game of the day, a 4-0 loss to West Branch. The Falcons out-hit the Warriors, 6-3, but couldn’t score against West Branch’s Kelsey Byers.

Pierce provided Fitch’s first run of the day with her game-tying blast and Protain gave the Falcons the lead for good against the Tigers.

“We didn’t play a perfect game, but we played with good energy and got the runs we needed them, like with Sierra Pierce’s home run,” said Fitch coach Steve Ward.

Kate Wainwright gave up six hits and three runs in a complete-game loss for Newton Falls.

It was a pitching duel for the first three innings as there were just five combined hits to that point. Franken came up just short of a home run of her own in the second inning, but her long fly ball was caught near the warning track.

Fitch’s Ashlea Hawryluk reached on a bunt single in the third. Maddie Everhart moved her over on a sacrifice bunt, but Hawryluk was thrown out at home plate to end the threat.