FALCONS AND FLASHES LIVE UP TO THE HYPE

By Ty Bartell

Despite the weather becoming an issue and factoring in multiple cancellations for both baseball and softball games across Your Sports Network, Austintown, Ohio was the site of all the action. With The Champion Golden Flashes Softball Club squared-off with The Austintown-Fitch Falcons Softball Club. The baseball team also welcomed in The South Range Raiders across the way, making it a very busy evening in the ballpark with plenty of fans in attendance. 

The Softball field saw fans lining the entire fence line to see the premier matchup between a pair of sensational sophomores, with Sydnie Watts toeing the rubber for Fitch and Gabby Gradishar standing in the circle for Champion. Both right-handers pitched through some early traffic two post scoreless frames through the first two innings. The first run occurred in the third inning when The Flashes struck first, taking an early 1-0 lead, marking the first time through 15 games that Fitch had trailed! Fitch responded in the bottom half of the third, taking the lead off a McKenna Hogan bunt RBI-single, before Tina Montgomery capped off the inning with a grand slam to push Fitch ahead 6-1! 

In the top of the fourth inning, Champion dealt a counter punch in the form of a two-run blast to left by Gabby Gradishar, exemplifying that she is a pitcher who can rake, and cutting The Flashes deficit to three runs with Fitch leading 6-3. Following the top half of the fourth, no additional scoring would come about in the ballgame, with both arms exchanging zeros for the following three frames. With all the craziness included, this big time matchup delivered on everything it was advertising to be and more! With Fitch able to hold on to the score and close it out for the 6-3 victory, their 15th consecutive on the season and the chance to celebrate senior night with a win!

Gradishar struck out nine in her outing, while Watts fanned a dozen. McKenna Hogan got aboard twice, while Ayla Ray and Sam Severn had a pair of hits. However, the big bat of “The Cleaner” Tina Montgomery, who was the difference maker with her game defining grand slam in the bottom of the third as well as multiple fine defensive plays at the hot corner, cleaning up the left side of the infield! The loss for Champion (15-2) will now set them up in a matchup with The Whitmer Panthers (8-9) from Toledo as a part of The Prebis Memorial Tournament at Victory Park in North Ridgeville, Ohio. For Fitch (15-0) they will now wait for Monday, May 1st where they will start the first of a two-game set against The All-American Conference (AAC) rival The Canfield Cardinals (14-1) with the conference crown on the line! Interviews with Falcons Head Coach Steve Ward, as well as Sydnie Watts, McKenna Hogan and Tina Montgomery can be found below!