Canfield softball rallies to stun Poland

May 20, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

Canfield stages huge rally late

ALLIANCE

With a four-run lead, the Poland High School softball team was two outs away from its sixth district championship in seven seasons.

But the Bulldogs’ archrivals staged a most improbable comeback at Alliance High School. Canfield scored four times in the bottom of the seventh inning then won the Division II district championship an inning later.

Senior Marina Sturgeon extended her varsity career for at least another week by beating out a two-out infield hit to score Carly Trefethern with the game-winning run in a 5-4 victory.

“I was really nervous,” Sturgeon said. “When [the umpire] said ‘safe,’ my adrenaline was overflowing. We stayed loud even when we were down by four — we knew it was going to be a close game.”

Last year, the Bulldogs won the district title with an extra-inning victory.

“Phenomenal,” Canfield head coach Ray Melewski said of the comeback. “Typical Canfield-Poland game. Every time we play [it seems] they are one-run games.”

The Cardinals (23-7) struggled for six innings against Poland starter Ally Deemer. But in the seventh inning, momentum changed. With one out, Jill Baker and Sturgeon singled to start the rally. Ally Sammarco doubled them home to slice Poland’s lead in half.

With two outs, Deemer walked Rachel Tinkey, who was replaced by pinch-runner Becky Armstrong. Kara Rothbauer smacked a two-run double to tie the game, then forgot the score. Running toward home to celebrate, Rothbauer was tagged out by third baseman Kristyn Svetlak to send the game to extra innings.

“I was not thinking at all,” Rothbauer said. “It did not cross my mind that I was not done running the bases.”

After the Bulldogs left the bases loaded in the eighth inning, head coach Matt Campbell relieved Deemer with Svetlak, the winner of Monday’s 4-3 semifinal victory over West Branch. It was Deemer’s first time pitching since injuring an ankle last week.

“Ally pitched a great game; she battled to keep them off the scoreboard for six innings,” Campbell. “Canfield is a tremendous team known for hitting.”

Rothbauer agreed.

“[Deemer] was awesome, giving us pitches she knew we’d swing at,” Rothbauer said.

Amelia Manenti doubled to deep right field to lead off the eighth inning and was replaced by Trefethern.

“I was shaking,” Manenti said, adding that she decided to try for two when she saw the ball get behind right fielder Amanda Kabetso. “I saw her miss it so I decided to go.”

Darby Cockrell’s sacrifice bunt sent Trefethern to third, setting up Sturgeon’s two-out magic. She hit a ground ball to shortstop Brielle Nocera whose throw to first was not in time.

Seeing Trefethern score generated “instant tears for us seniors,” the redeemed Rothbauer said. “It’s just an amazing feeling.”

The Bulldogs (19-9) seized control of the game in the third inning when they scored four times against starter Allison Fabry. Amanda Wire led off with a double and took third when Claire Testa reached base on an error when she knocked the ball out of Cockrell’s glove during a tag.

After Nocera singled to score Wire, Chloe Bush drew a four-pitch walk. With two outs, Kabesto doubled. Svetlak singled to score Kabetso then was tagged out in a rundown.

An inning later, the Bulldogs had two more baserunners when Melewski lifted Fabry for the left-handed Bridget Durkin.

“Allison has been our go-to girl all year long,” Mewleski said. “It seemed like they were just tagging her too many times. So I decided to go with Bridget to give them a different look.”

Bush, Deemer, Kabetso, Nocera and catcher Jenna Schettler finished their varsity careers for the Bulldogs.

“I am so very proud of my team; I wouldn’t trade them for anyone,” Campbell said. “Ally had a phenomenal year.”