CARDINALS EARN A REPEAT TRIP TO REGIONAL FINAL

Sydney Lutz was on fire with three hits in five at-bats as the Canfield steamrolled the Aurora 12-2 in the Regional Semifinals this Wednesday. Lutz was all over the place, knocking singles in the third, fifth, and seventh innings.

The Cardinals didn’t waste any time, hitting the scoreboard first in the third inning when Malena Toth drove in a run with a single. The team caught fire in the fifth, racking up five runs on five hits. Lutz and Toth were in the thick of it, each driving in two runs, while Faith Morell chipped in with an RBI single.

The seventh inning saw the Cardinals piling on six more runs. Leah Figueroa and Caylee Ortiz both knocked in runs, a couple of errors contributed to the chaos, and Lutz again brought a runner home. Ava Millich also got in on the action with an RBI single.

In the circle, Toth was solid for the Cardinals, giving up just three hits and two runs over seven innings and striking out six. On the flip side, McKennah Metzger bore the brunt for Aurora, allowing 14 hits and 12 runs over her seven innings of work.

The Cardinals swung a hot bat all game, amassing 14 hits. Macey Kalina, Jenna Triveri, Toth, and Figueroa all had multi-hit games. Defensively, they were flawless, not dropping a single chance in the field. Marina Koenig was a standout, handling six chances.

Aurora tried to keep pace, with Lailah Bohanan knocking in both of the team’s runs. Bohanan, Metzger, and Rayna Unverferth each managed a hit. They also showed some patience at the plate, drawing five walks in total.

The Cardinals now look ahead to a showdown against Buckeye this Friday in the Regional Finals. Game time is 1:00 PM at Nordonia High School.