by Michael Leonard
Sports Editor
Cuyahoga Falls -- From the moment she stepped on the field last year as a freshman, Cuyahoga Falls pitcher Amber Myers showed flashes of brilliance.
This season, Myers has shown even more moxie, including pitching a perfect game April 16 against Parma.
Myers wasn't quite that sharp April 23 against North Royalton, but she did register a shutout, helping the Black Tigers to split their opening Northeast Ohio Conference River Division with the Bears.
Myers got some help from her defense as Falls scored a 3-0 win over North Royalton at Harrington Field. The win split the home-and-home series between the two sides, as the Bears won 3-1 in North Royalton April 21.
Falls improved to 9-3, 1-1 in the River Division, while Royalton fell to 10-2, 1-1 in the division.
Falls coach Kim Applegarth said there was no secret to winning against the Bears.
"We just need to play a a good fundamental game and not have any mental errors," Applegarth said. "We did both. We didn't have any mental or physical errors. They hit the ball hard."
Falls needed to limit its errors because Bears pitcher Lauren Balodis had already shown her effectiveness against Falls, limiting the Black Tigers to one run on four hits in the April 21 contest.
Balodis nearly opened the scoring in the top of the first inning. With two outs, she belted a fly ball to deep center field well past Falls center fielder Jessica Nester. Nester did well to get the ball back into the infield quickly and limit Balodis to a triple.
However, Myers ended the threat by striking out Bears first baseman Kaylin Clarke.
In retrospect, that was the Bears' best scoring chance of the night.
After a scoreless first inning, Falls broke through in the bottom of the second inning.
Myers walked to start the inning and second baseman Kaila Oser laid down a sacrifice bunt to move courtesy runner Lacy Burnside to second.
Shortstop Sam Troxell then stood in and belted a fly ball to right-center field which landed just beyond the reach of North Royalton's Amanda Oster. Burnside scored and the speedy Troxell legged out a triple to give Falls a 1-0 lead.
A freshman, Troxell led Falls offense on the night, going 2-of-3 with a single, a triple and RBI and two runs scored.
"She's been coming along at the plate," Applegarth said of Troxell. "She basically went from Under-14 ball right to Under-18 ball, so it just took her some at bats to settle in."
Troxell would score later in the inning when designated player Sam Santos hit a slow roller to first and Troxell beat the throw home.
North Royalton attempted to get right back into it in the top of the third inning, but Falls defense stepped up. After outfielder Kelsey Clarke laid down a bunt single, Falls catcher Kelly Hessler made a perfect throw to Troxell to gun her down while stealing.
Royalton also got a walk from Balodis and a single from Kaylin Clarke in the fourth inning. However, that would be it for the Bears offense, as Myers would set down the final 11 Bears she faced in order.
"She's been pitching well all year," Applegarth said of Myers. "She got about four pitches that she can use to get batters out and she never loses her cool. She's got so much poise on the mound that she never gets rattled."
Myers would finish by allowing just three hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in seven innings of work.
Meanwhile, Falls' offense would bang out an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Troxell hit a line drive single up the middle for Falls. Third baseman Lynn Repasky then smacked a single to left, but the ball went under the left fielder's glove.
The error allowed Troxell to score and Repasky ended up on third, giving Falls the 3-0 lead
Myers then slammed the door in the top of the seventh, getting Kaylin Clarke to ground out to short and striking out pinch hitter Rachel Svec and Oster.
Falls was set to host a doubleheader with Mayfield April 26 at Harrington, but results were not available at press time.
Falls will host Solon April 28 and then travel to Solon April 30. First pitch both days is at 4:30 p.m.
E-mail: mleonard@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3113