Lady Falcons magical run comes to an end in 5-3 State Semifinal loss to Kenton Ridge
AKRON, OH- The Field Falcons continued their incredible season on Friday afternoon at Akron Firestone Stadium where they faced the undefeated defending Division IV State Champion Kenton Ridge Cougars, who were riding a 62-game winning streak and ranked 7th in the nation. A tall order for a small town team like the Falcons who came in 21-3 fresh off of a 15-5 Regional Final win over West Geauga. While the outcome was not in their favor, the Falcons showed the heart and determination that helped them reach the State Final Four for the first time in school history, giving the Cougars all they could handle. Most of all they showed that they belong in front of large Falcons crowd as the Brimfield community showed up in full force to support their team.
Field would get off to a fast start in the top of the 1st. Lilli Sutkowy started things off with a line drive single to left center. Gracie Hoskin would lay down a sacrifice bunt moving Sutkowy into scoring position with one out. Averi Weis would then launch a bomb to left that landed well beyond the fence for a 2-run homerun to get the Falcons on the board with a 2-0 lead.
Averi Weis launches a 2-run homerun in the 1st inning for Field
Adrianna Berry took the mound for Field in the bottom half. The junior right hander had a stellar season for the Falcons as she faced her toughest opposition. The Cougars came in with 70 homeruns as a team in 30 games including 23 by senior catcher Brenna Fyffe. Berry would allow a double to Fyffe but no damage as Field held a 2-0 lead after one.
Adrianna Berry gets out of the 1st standing a runner at 2nd
Field would get a pair of baserunners on with one out in the top of the 2nd but would not score.
Berry would allow another double but again get out of the inning with no runs as she picked up her first strikeout of the game.
Adrianna Berry picks up her first strikeout in the 2nd for the Falcons
It remained a 2-0 Falcons lead until the bottom of the 3rd when the Cougars broke through. Chloe Glass led off with a liner over the head of Sophia Roberts in right field that went all the way to the fence. The speedy Glass came all the way around to score for an inside the park homer. With one out a single by Fyffe was followed up by a 2-run homerun to centerfield by JJ Davis that would put Kenton Ridge up 3-2 after three.
The Falcons would answer back in the top of the 4th with an Addy Lay opposite field homerun to tie it up at 3-3.
It remained that way until the bottom of the 5th when Fyffe blasted a solo shot to left and Kendall Glass singled in a run a few batters later to give the Cougars a 5-3 lead after five.
The Falcons did not threaten in the final two innings as Cougars pitcher Ivee Rastatter retired the final six in order and Kenton Ridge advanced to the Division IV State Championship with a 5-3 win over Field.
It was a tough defeat for the Falcons, but a tournament run that they can be more than proud of. After losing a large and talented senior class, the Falcons did not miss a beat reaching the State Final Four for the first time in school history and becoming the first Portage softball team to do so in the last 23 years. I asked coach Beth Dyer in the postgame press conference what made this squad so special.
“ I think the belief in each other,” said Dyer. “All season long they have believed in each other and they wanted to make their own name for themselves. Everyone knows what we lost and what the prior group accomplished, but this team formed their own path.”
Lilli Sutkowy and Gracie Hoskin each had a pair of hits for the Falcons. Weis had the big first inning 2-run homerun and Addy Lay the game tying homerun in the 4th. Adrianna Berry went the distance on the mound allowing 5 runs in her 6 innings of work.
