Staff photo / Preston Byers Canfield's Malena Toth tosses a pitch during the Cardinals' game against Lakeview on Friday.

CANFIELD — Malena Toth struck out 17 batters and allowed no walks and just two hits in a dominant performance in the circle as Canfield caused the first blemish on Lakeview’s previously undefeated record. Toth and the Cardinals shut out the Bulldogs in a 9-0 victory at McCune Park on Friday.

Canfield, and Toth in particular, have had a busy week. After many interruptions over the past month, the Cardinals managed to play five games in seven days, with Toth starting each contest. Friday’s win over Lakeview may have been her best outing, though, as she completely befuddled the Bulldogs’ lineup.

More than one Lakeview batter walked back to the dugout after a strikeout shaking their heads and smiling seemingly in disbelief of Toth’s pitching. Makenna Werner, the Bulldogs’ second baseman, was one of those players. After a called third strike in the top of the second inning, Werner told her teammates, “You can’t see it.”

Lakeview head coach David Kelm said his players mentioned they had “trouble picking it up,” echoing comments made earlier this week by Howland head softball coach Nicole Wayt, whose team played Toth and Canfield on Monday and Tuesday. After the Tigers’ 4-2 loss to the Cardinals on Monday, Wayt remarked that Toth has a “very deceiving delivery” that takes time to become accustomed to.

Lakeview apparently did not have enough time Friday to get acclimated, as Toth powered through her half-innings in the circle. After allowing a leadoff single to start the game, Toth struck out the next eight batters she faced. Bulldogs catcher Mackenzie Stowe recorded the only two hits of the game for her team; in addition to her leadoff single, Stowe halted Toth’s strikeout streak with a double to center field in the top of the third.

Toth responded immediately, striking out the next batter, Kalyssa Werner, and did not allow another runner the rest of the game. In total, Toth struck out 17 of the 23 batters she faced on just 84 pitches and allowed just Stowe to reach base safely Friday.

At the plate, the Cardinals gave Toth plenty of insurance, even if she did not need it. Catcher Leah Figueroa continued her strong start to the season; she hit a two-run home run off of Lakeview pitcher Ava Bacon in the bottom of the third inning to give Canfield a 5-0 lead. At the bottom of the order, Macey Kalina and Alexis Johnson each tallied a pair of hits. Johnson, Figueroa, Sydney Lutz and Caylee Ortiz all recorded RBIs for the Cardinals.

In six innings pitched, Bacon struck out four, walked four and allowed nine earned runs.

Kelm said Friday’s defeat, Lakeview’s first of the season, was a learning experience for the Bulldogs, who he said will have to gain confidence before they square off with a team of the caliber of Canfield again.

“It’s always about lessons. Finding them when you win is harder to do. Very easy to do here,” Kelm said. “But [I’m] very proud of the kids. I know they’re gonna bounce back. They’re gonna see some stuff and keep going with it.”

With Friday’s victory, Canfield (12-1) has now won 12 consecutive games, with their lone defeat being a season-opening 5-0 loss to Austintown Fitch on March 25. Since then, Canfield, which the Ohio High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association placed atop its latest Division II state rankings, has outscored its opponents 97-11.

So what can the consistently impressive Cardinals improve on moving forward?

“Everything,” Canfield head coach Michael Kernan said. “We don’t get enough defensive reps sometimes because of Malena, so we always got to try to work our defensive reps as much as we can. We make a lot of baserunning errors – not a lot – but we do. All the little things, just keep getting better, whether it’s cheering in the dugout, running on bases, getting bunts down – there’s always room for improvement.”

Canfield will play its second game of the 17th annual JoAnne Kernan Strikeout Cancer Memorial today. The Cardinals are scheduled to meet Erie (Pa.) McDowell in a 1 p.m. game at McCune Park. Lakeview (10-1) is set for a doubleheader today at McCune Park; the Bulldogs will play Columbiana at 11 a.m. before a 1 p.m. first pitch vs. Eastlake North.

Have an interesting story? Contact Preston Byers by email at pbyers@tribtoday.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @PresByers.