Falcon Pride Top Ten #1: Softball Wins Regional Title to Reach State Final Four for Third Time in Four Years

As the unofficial start to the 2026 fall sports season quickly approaches, AustintownAthletics.com will close the month of June by taking a look back at the top ten sports moments from the 2025-2026 school year. The list will feature the most memorable and notable individual and team performances, achievements, and milestones as selected by members of the Austintown Fitch Athletic Department. The Falcon Pride Top Ten Countdown will begin on June 20 with #10 and continue through the end of the month with the #1 sports moment of the year. As always, thank you to all of Falcon Country for your continued support of our student-athletes both on the field and, most importantly, in the classroom. Keep celebrating your Falcon Pride! #1) Softball Wins Regional Title to Reach State Final Four for Third Time in Four Years Long before the 2026 season began, the Fitch softball team had one goal: to take care of "Unfinished Business." After winning back-to-back OHSAA Division 1 State Championships in 2023 and 2024, the Lady Falcons saw their title reign come to an end in the regional round of the tournament in 2025. The drive to get back to state this season was evident from the team's offseason workouts to the start of official practices and all the way through to preseason scrimmages. From then on, the team just needed to put it all out on the field when it counted for real. With a 10-0 mercy rule shutout of Berea-Midpark to open regular season play followed by freshman Mila Hamley's first career no-hitter in game two, a statement was made. Fitch was dominant in the regular season as the team finished with a 22-0 record thanks to outstanding defensive play backed up by an explosive offense which allowed the Lady Falcons to win most of their games by double digit run totals. Along the way, Head Coach Steve Ward surpassed 200 career wins as the man at the helm of the team. The Lady Falcons kept things rolling in the OHSAA District Semifinal by beating Canton McKinley 19-0 as the offense stayed on fire while Hamley threw her first career perfect game and second no-hitter to begin the postseason. Fitch then knocked off Perrysburg, 4-1, to win the District Championship before beating Berea-Midpark in the Regional Semifinal in what was a rematch of the season opener. The outcome was exactly the same as the opening game as the Lady Falcons knocked off the Lady Titans by the identical score of 10-0 to move on to the Regional Championship. Fitch made things look easy once again by brushing aside Massillon Jackson in an 11-1 victory which gave the Lady Falcons their third Regional Championship in four years and sent the team back to the Final Four just the way they planned it. Now sitting at 26-0 on the year, the Lady Falcons entered the State Semifinal as the #1 ranked team in the state with plenty of momentum on their side. But the quest for a third state title would come to an end in a 4-0 loss to Lancaster as the Lady Golden Gales shut down the Fitch bats by limiting the usually potent offense to just five total hits, handing the Lady Falcons their first loss of the year and closing the book on the season just one win short of the State Championship Game. Although the team fell short of a state title, the season will still be remembered as a success as Fitch finished the year with a 26-1 record while earning their already mentioned third OHSAA Division 1 Regional Championship in four years and reaching the State Final Four. The Lady Falcons also won their fifth consecutive OHSAA Division 1 District Championship and claimed the All-American Conference Championship for the seventh straight season. Plus, the indelible mark left on the program by the Class of 2026 is one which may be unattainable for any other senior class anytime soon. Playing in their final game in a Lady Falcons uniform, seniors Kylie Folkwein, Miauna Jorge, Morgan Roby, Alyssa Rodgers, Kameryn Scandy, Lily Stevens, Miley Summerville, and Abby Toth move on after leaving behind a true lasting legacy. Winners from the start, the aforementioned group won back-to-back OHSAA Division 1 State Championships in their freshman and sophomore seasons of 2023 and 2024, and compiled an incredible record of 91-7 while reaching the State Final Four three times in four years. The Fitch softball team poses for a photo with the 2026 Regional Championship Trophy at Avon Lake High School in Avon, Ohio on Saturday, May 30, 2026 Head Coach Steve Ward and Class of 2026 alumna Morgan Roby strategize during a game at the Austintown Fitch Softball Complex during the 2026 season. Ward earned the 200th win of his career as the head coach of the Lady Falcons in 2026.