WATTS IS PITCH PERFECT AGAINST CONFERENCE RIVAL
By Ty Bartell
Since returning from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina The Austintown Fitch Falcons Softball club has continued a string of dominance against some of the region’s toughest competitors. With wins against The Painesville-Riverside Beavers and Chardon Hilltoppers since their return to add to their already impressive resume. After play was suspended for The Falcons in their previous game against The Archbishop Hoban Knights, Austintown was looking to get a complete game in. Monday’s opponent would be a much improved Warren G. Harding Raiders squad from years previous, as The Raiders compiled a 7-8 record before making the trip To The Austintown Fitch Falcons Softball Complex.
Sydnie Watts started the game in the circle, and like 80+ times in her career, struck out the side in order to send it to the bottom of the first. Fitch would waste little time scoring, Ayla Ray got hit by a pitch and used her speed and infield mistakes to wind up on third. Watts would eventually bring her home for her 15th RBI of the season! The Falcons were not done there, McKenna Hogan would plate a run before Abby Toth capped-off the first inning with a three run blast to left, her fifth of the season, marking a five run opening inning for Fitch and allowing Toth to celebrate “Abby Day” which happens to be everyday in Austintown.
Back in the circle and Sydnie Watts continued her string of dominance, striking out the side an additional three times in a row! Which, if you are counting, is 12 straight sent down by way of the K. Fitch provided all the offense needed in the first, but jumped all over the scoreboard with a ten run second inning to create major distance between The Falcons and their All-American Conference (AAC) foe. 14 hits were spread out amongst nine different Falcons in this game, as Fitch added three more additional runs in the third.
However, the story of the game stayed in and near the circle. The “Untouchable” Sydnie Watts was just that! Pitching a Perfect Game for the third time in her career and the second time this season! Watts also struck out an unbelievable 14 out of 15 batters in the game as Austintown won their 13th straight win on the season! More importantly to The Falcons, their AAC record also stays perfect at a 5-0 clip with both The Raiders and The Falcons running it back, this time in Warren, on Tuesday, April 25th for a 5 p.m. first pitch!
Plenty of Ghost Energy® will go around following this win, although ghosts may not have been the scariest thing The Raiders had seen on Monday. Interviews with The Perfect Game battery of Sydnie Watts and McKenna Hogan as well as Abby Toth can be found below!
