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Sophomore Kovach homers twice to power Canfield past Fitch to remain atop AAC Red Tier standings
By Tom Williams
CANFIELD
Before Friday, Canfield sophomore Kalin Kovach, who has been playing softball since she was 5, had never hit two homers in a game.
Kovach powered the Cardinals to an 11-1 victory over Fitch with a double and a pair of two-run homers.
“I’ve never done that before,” said Kovach, adding that the first round-tripper surprised her less. “It did feel more powerful — I could feel it off the sweet part of the bat.
“There was so much joy that went through me, one of the best feelings you could ever have.”
Her first homer came in Canfield’s six-run third inning that put the Cardinals (14-3, 6-0 All-American Conference Red Tier) ahead 8-1. Kovach’s second one came an inning later. Both sailed over the fence in the deepest part of the field.
Canfield’s lineup has seven seniors but is getting contributions from younger players like Kovach and freshman pitcher Kaili Gross, who scattered five hits in the five-inning game. Senior Bridget Durkin, Canfield’s No. 1 starter, had the day off.
“We’re having a lot of fun,” said senior infielder Maura Kennedy, adding that Gross and Kovach fit in well. “Our team really gels well together.
“It’s really good to see that not only are we winning, but there is a good foundation for the years to come.”
In the fifth inning, junior shortstop Jill Baker moved sharply to snag consecutive line drives by Simons and Kayla Kelty.
“I feel like a ninja out there,” Baker said of her leaps. “It’s so much fun getting those kind of balls, and everyone cheering.
“It puts a big smile on my face.”
Baker said Gross is not a typical freshman.
“She plays like a senior, she’s not shy,” Baker said.
The one trend the Cards are trying to work on is starting faster.
“Lately, our bats have been late starters,” Canfield coach Ray Melewski said. “But when they do start up, we hit the ball well.”
The Falcons (3-13, 2-6) scored their run in the first inning after loading the bases on hits by Lainie Simons, Ashley Fuller and McKenzie Luknis. After Christina Tucker’s flyout, Simons scored when the throw home sailed past catcher Sidney Lambert.
“We’ve been improving,” Fitch coach Steve Ward said. “It seems there’s [often] one inning that kind of gets us, but credit to Canfield — they made a lot of hits that were not playable. “We’re still a young team and you see flashes of what we can do.”
Kovach doubled to lead off Canfield’s two-run second inning that included a RBI triple by Kennedy.
In the third inning, Ally Sammarco contributed a two-run triple while Gross drove in a run with a double.