Staff photo / Preston Byers. Austintown Fitch softball coaches and players pose for a photo after a college signing ceremony honoring Abby Toth and Kylie Folkwein at the high school on Wednesday. L-R: assistant softball coach Bob Jones, assistant Nicole Fiddler, Toth, Folkwein, assistant Becki Spalding and head coach Steve Ward.

AUSTINTOWN — Austintown Fitch softball players Abby Toth and Kylie Folkwein formally signed with the University of Detroit Mercy and Syracuse University, respectively, on Wednesday.

The senior athletes, who were part of the Falcons’ 2023 and 2024 Division I state championship-winning teams, were honored with a ceremony at the high school that many friends and families attended.

“I was very nervous at first, and then I just saw my friends and family looking at me, and I was like, ‘Wow, these people came here because they love me.’ And then I just relaxed and had a good time,” Toth said of the event.

Folkwein and Toth admitted that signing Wednesday was not only a moment of joy and pride that they could share with their loved ones, but it also represented the end of their respectively stressful recruiting processes.

“A lot of relief, just knowing I committed somewhere. … I waited pretty long compared to most people, but I really wanted to find my home,” Folkwein said. “And my class, with the transfer portal opening up, it was really difficult trying to find a place that I could fit in very well. But I was happy I found Syracuse. It’s my home.”

Both said that by putting pen to paper, the pressure they felt while being recruited will not be there for their senior season.

“Now I’m not worried about a school coming to watch me and all these other things,” Toth said. “I’m worried about winning with my team, cheering with my team, and doing all these other things with my team.”

“I feel like I’ll probably play a lot better,” Folkwein added. “I mean, I have all the weight off my shoulders. I’m not trying to impress any more coaches. Obviously, I still want to — I’m going to work just as far as I have before, because the next step is to play in college. So I’m going to still work hard, but it’s definitely just gonna be a fun last year playing with my high school teammates.”

During her junior season, Folkwein, the Falcons’ starting catcher, moved from behind the plate to second base due to an injury. Replacing her at catcher was Toth, who, despite playing first base for Fitch, catches for her travel team and was recruited by Detroit Mercy as a catcher.

Neither the pair nor the young Falcons missed much of a beat.

While settling in at second, Folkwein set a new career-high in walks, a career-low in strikeouts and hit six home runs, drove in 24 runs and batted .382. Toth, who was named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) first-team All-American in July, was the only Fitch player with more home runs than Folkwein, a team-best 10, as she batted .623 and recorded a team-high 49 RBI and 1.234 slugging percentage.

“They’re competitors through and through, and that’s where it all starts,” Fitch head softball coach Steve Ward said. “They’re not going to try to play a position. They’re going to dominate any position that they’re in. They won’t take second place. And that’s the mentality that you like to see as seniors trickling down to everybody else in the program, down to the middle school. They’re great role models for younger people to say, ‘Hey, I’m not just a first baseman, I’m not just a catcher. I want to be out on the field. I’ll play anywhere to get out there.'”

Coming off back-to-back state championships, Fitch stumbled in its quest for a three-peat this past May, losing to Massillon Jackson in the regional semifinals.

Ward hopes that Toth and Folkwein, the latter of whom may take back over as the team’s catcher, will be able to finish their high school careers on the highest of high notes.

“Words can’t express how grateful I am for our whole senior class,” Ward said. “We have a very large senior class and a very talented senior class, and especially having those two at the helm, they’re our leaders. They’re going to lead this team, and, crossing fingers, we hope to go far.”

OTHER LOCAL SIGNINGS

The Fitch duo weren’t the only ones to sign to play their respective sports on Wednesday.

At Canfield, seven student-athletes signed. For softball, Leah Figueroa signed to St. Bonaventure, while teammate Caylee Ortiz signed with Columbia College in South Carolina. In lacrosse, Lainie Modarelli signed with Walsh, while Charlie Boris signed with Lynn University. Two golfers also signed, including Nathan Miller, who signed with Youngstown State, and Mick Ambrose, who signed with Walsh. Rounding out the Cardinals’ signing day was Lexi Toporcer, who will join her older sister, Maci, to play soccer at Purdue Fort Wayne.

Poland’s Leanna Boccieri also signed to play softball at St. Bonaventure.

Cardinal Mooney soccer standout Francesca Cassese elected to stay close to home and signed with Youngstown State.

Columbiana’s Madison Janis will continue her soccer career at Mercyhurst after signing on Wednesday.