High School Sports

Fourth inning hit parade helps Fitch blast Fairfield 10-0 in state semifinal

Falcons earn spot in state final with chance to repeat

AKRON -- Over the past couple seasons, Austintown Fitch has maintained a trend, developing an identity of sorts.

Sometimes, the Falcons may start "slow," by their standards, at least. They feel out an opposing pitcher and team initially, but after a couple of innings, they then explode for one of their patented big innings.

Fitch continued the trend Friday, keeping things close with Fairfield for three innings before finally blowing the door open with nine runs in the bottom of the fourth inning en route to a 10-0 five-inning victory over the Indians in the Division I state semifinal at Firestone Stadium in Akron.

"It's something that started a long time ago with these players," Fitch head coach Steve Ward said. "They've played with each other for over 10 years now, so they have the intuition with each other, their communication and their in-game adjustments. Honestly, I think this is one of the highest softball IQ teams I've ever seen, not just coached, but ever seen.

"They nonstop communicate, they nonstop tell each other what's going on, but they're seeing how to adjust and it's amazing. To see them take ownership -- and that's been the big word during these playoffs, and even this whole year, was we wanted them to have ownership of the team. I always say I manage the team, but these are the players that go out there and play and make their adjustments. It's amazing to watch them just own the game."

Leading by a single run that came on an RBI by Abby Toth in the bottom of the first inning, Fitch opened the fourth with a lead-off hit from Kylie Folkwein.

After Sydnie Watts struck out, Morgan Roby belted a double to score Toth. But a ground out by Sam Severn put two outs on the board and it looked as though the Falcons might have to continue to press in the next inning.

However, an RBI from Lily Stevens instead started a chain reaction. Stevens' hit led to back-to-back walks, and all of a sudden, Fitch had the bases loaded with two outs.

So, senior Ayla Ray stepped up to the plate and belted a fly ball deep to center field. It looked as though it cleared the fence, but at the last second, it dipped in front of the fence and bounced over for a ground-rule double. But the hit still scored two more runs.

So Toth steps up and clears the bases by reaching on an error with the Indians' right-fielder dropping a fly ball.

"We knew what (Fairfield pitcher Megan Spence) was pitching, we knew her speed," Toth said. "So we just stayed back and launched."

After Folkwein's second hit of the inning, Watts got her payback, blasting a three-run home run to left field to again clear the bases. No doubts it got over the fence this time.

"I feel like we were early on it," Watts said of Fitch's start at the plate. "It was just something we were saying in the dugout that we needed to stay back (in the batter's box) and that's what we did. We started hitting the ball."

To go with her homer, Watts was her "typical" self in the circle, according to Ray.

After pitching a no-hitter in the state semifinal last year, Watts' encore performance was a five-inning perfect game against the Indians. She faced 15 batters and retired all 15, striking out nine in the process. It was just the fourth-ever perfect game in state final four history.

"I threw a no-hitter last year, so I just had to make it better this year," Watts said jokingly. "Honestly, I was just trying to keep my pitch count down because I knew we were going to play (Saturday). I couldn't walk batters. That was my thing going into this game -- don't walk batters and don't get my pitch count up. My pitches were all there today and it just worked.”

Watts was even forced into a couple of solo defensive plays, in which she was able to pick up a ball that put in play and tag out the runner along the first-base line.

"I'm a good fielder. I used to play third base, but obviously now I don't play it that much because I'm pitching," Watts said. "But growing up, my Dad always held fielding practices, so I'm used to fielding the ball. It's just the kind of thing where if nobody is there, I'm going to take charge and make the outs."

The Falcons now have a chance to go back-to-back as they claim their spot in Saturday's Division I state championship game. Fitch is set to face Watkins Memorial at 6:15 p.m. at Firestone Stadium in Akron. The Warriors beat Whitehouse Anthony Wayne on Friday in the second semifinal.

"I wouldn't say it was more challenging, I'd say there were different challenges," Ward said, comparing Fitch's run last year to this season's. "I don't want to say we snuck up on people because we were regional finalists the previous, previous year. But for people to look at this team, I don't think they expected last year for us to be there. We did, but they didn't. So this year now, everybody knew we had a lot of returning players, and we knew we were going to get everybody's best shot. Everybody gave us their best shot and the challenge for the ladies was: you gotta rise up time and time again."

Have an interesting story? Contact Neel Madhavan by email at nmadhavan@tribtoday.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NeelMadhavan.