Staff photo/Neil Madhavan. Austintown-Fitch senior Ayla Ray praised Falcons head coach Steve Ward after hitting her second two-run homer of the game against Boardman on Monday.
BOARDMAN — Meet Austintown Fitch's dynamic sibling duo, the Ray sisters.
Freshman Kariana Ray led the game and got on base, as evidenced by a .710 batting average and .743 on-base percentage, while her older sister, senior Ayla Ray, had team-highs in RBIs and big hits as evidenced by her team-high records. It is recorded. 28 RBIs, currently 10 home runs.
“They sit next to each other on the bus, and it's clear they have a sisterly, family bond and they know what the other is thinking.” Fitch head coach Steve Ward said. “They have great communication skills, so what Kariana sees, she immediately tells Ira what she sees in the box. Even if she's at first base, she's talking to him.”
The connection between Cariana and Ayla was on display Monday, as the one-two punch at the top of the Falcons' lineup increased their respective season totals in Fitch's 12-0 sixth-inning win over Boardman.
“(We) could have turned one and two over, but with Kariana's speed, it makes sense that she would be at the forefront of that.” Fitch head coach Steve Ward said. “Eila's contact rate is in the low .900s, so there's a pretty good chance there'll be some confusion between Ray sisters No. 1 and No. 2. I think they're probably the best dynamic punch in the entire state.”
The duo jumped on the Spartans in the top of the first inning.
Cariana led off the game by hitting a home run straight to the right field line, and in the next at-bat, Aira hit a two-run home run over the center field fence. In the blink of an eye, the Falcons were already leading 2-0.
“I’m happy to be back on the field with her.” Kariana said. “We used to play together a lot when we were little. …My only goal is to get on base, and her only job is to drive me in.”
They repeated it in the top of the fifth inning.
Cariana got on base with a walk to take the lead in the first inning, and Ira hit another deep ball over the center field fence for two more runs. Kariana went 3-for-4 at bat, while Ira went 2-for-3 with two home runs, one walk, and four RBIs.
“I just tried to jump on a really fast pitch.” Ira said. “I saw the ball really well and was able to put it there. … I'm always just trying to move (Kariana) as far as possible (on the bases).”
Cariana and Ira anchored the Falcons' offense for the first few innings as the rest of the lineup adjusted to Boardman pitcher Adi Kovacic and the Spartans' defense.
Kovacic wasn't even expected to start the game. Tori Strines took the mound in the top of the first inning, but in her first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning, she was hit by a pitch in the arm and had to be replaced.
Despite the injury, Strines would return to the plate in the bottom of the fifth inning.
“Tori is a gamer. He's been pitching great for us lately.” Boardman head coach Fred Moots said. “She's been a great pitcher since her freshman year. Not only that, but she was hitting the ball really well, so when she went down, it was tough. Then Addy came in, and she was a great pitcher for the rest of her life. She competed hard. She doesn't have a lot of varsity experience, but she's gaining more and more experience and confidence. She kept us in the game for a few innings there, so I'm proud of her. I think so.”
But after the sixth inning, the remaining Falcons hitters began to find their place.
Rachel Spalding's bunt single started the inning, and Fitch batted around the lineup as the Falcons scored six runs on six hits. With the bases loaded, Abby Toth hit a base hit and scored two runs, followed by Kylie Folkwine with the same score.
Morgan Roby added an RBI and Vita Kelty rounded out the scoring for the Falcons with an RBI double. The Falcons finished the game with 14 hits.
“We told them we were going to hit the ball.” Moots said. “When you find the first two batters of every inning (Kalyana and Ira), it's tough. They put so much pressure on you. Of course, in the middle of the lineup, even from No. 1 to No. That’s how you win a state championship.”
Sidney Watts was his usual self in the circle for the Falcons, allowing just one hit while striking out 13.
Junior also added another weapon to his already equipped arsenal. This season, Watts started making his own pitch calls in games, which continued against the Spartans, passing the pitch calls to Forkwine behind the plate.
“She told us that when she was pitching in travel ball last summer, she was calling her own pitches and loved it.” Ward said. “She really wanted to try it out and she's doing a great job. She comes back to the dugout and tells us what she sees and adjusts her pitches. She's She's a very intelligent player and a great leader in the circle, so we have enough confidence in her to do it and we trust her to do it.”
Do you have any interesting stories? Email Neel Madhavan at nmadhavan@tribtoday.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @NeelMadhavan.
