Austintown-Fitch had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 win over the Steele Comets on Wednesday. The victory was familiar territory for Austintown-Fitch who now have 16 in a row.
Sydnie Watts spent all nine innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on two hits and racked up 18 Ks. Those nine innings set a new season-high mark for her.
At the plate, Kaliana Ray was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 4-for-5. Another player making a difference was Samantha Severn, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.
On Steele's side, they also let their pitcher toss all nine innings and she was also dialed-in: Karina Shuster gave up just two earned runs on 12 hits. Shuster has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in ten consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Kayla Rhodes made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with a home run.
Austintown-Fitch's win bumped their record up to 20-1. As for Steele, their defeat dropped their record down to 20-8.
Austintown-Fitch is on the road again on Friday to play Walsh Jesuit at 5:00 p.m. Walsh Jesuit will roll in looking for their 22nd straight victory, something Austintown-Fitch surely won't give up without a fight. Steele does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
