Staff photo / Preston Byers Canfield’s Jessa Deley celebrates after scoring a run during Monday’s Little League 12U softball Ohio District 2 championship win vs. Austintown at the Fields of Dreams in Boardman.

BOARDMAN — In its previous meeting with Austintown in the Little League 12U softball Ohio District 2 tournament, Canfield scored once in the first inning and added on later as part of a decisive semifinal win. On Monday, with the district title at stake, Canfield proved even more efficient and less patient.

Canfield, the defending 12U state champion, immediately put Austintown on the back foot with a three-run first inning, and it continued to pile on the runs en route to an 11-5 win at the Fields of Dreams complex in Boardman.

“It was an exciting one,” Canfield head coach Jeff Handel said. “Our offense really came through. We talked a lot about it the whole tournament. Lots and lots of offense, get the ball in play, put the pressure on their defense. I think the girls delivered today.”

McKala Lang put Canfield ahead in the top of the first with a hard-hit RBI double to right-center field, and two batters later, Lydia Handel hit a pitch to the Austintown third baseman, who misfired a throw to first base. Two more runners scored, giving Canfield a 3-0 lead.

It took until the bottom of the following inning for Austintown to respond, and it did so in the form of a bases-loaded groundout, which got Summer Jones across the plate for Austintown’s first run against Canfield in the tournament.

However, Canfield fired back in the top of the third inning. Sparked by a leadoff single by Tessa Kibby, Canfield scored five runs in the frame.

Following Kibby, Jessa Deley drew a walk, and Gabby Stack singled to center field, which led to an off-the-mark throw that allowed both Kibby and Deley to score. Shortly after, Hailey Reigrut drove in another run with a double, and Lydia Handel added one more with a sacrifice fly. Austintown gave up the fifth run of the inning and eighth of the game immediately with an error.

Austintown did pull back within five in the bottom of the fourth, when Aarleah McGuire scored on a Gabby Stack passed ball and Lucia Williams crossed home plate on a groundout.

But a comeback was not in the cards, as Canfield widened its lead again in the top of the fifth. A pair of runners scored after a Lang hit to center field, and Canfield went up 11-3 two batters later when Lang scored on a groundout.

Austintown made it an 11-5 game in the bottom of the sixth on a Williams single.

“We didn’t show up offensively, defensively,” Austintown coach Brian Mattern said. “The girls have all the potential in the world. We weren’t fielding the ball clean. I think we finished the game with four hits, and that’s uncharacteristic of them. So, we gotta put the bat on the ball and score runs, [but it was] too little, too late.”

Despite the setback, Mattern has full belief that next year is a great opportunity for Austintown to capture the district crown.

“This is just the start,” Mattern said. “A lot of people will tell you that softball is a game of failure. I look at every loss as a step towards success. And this is just the start. Next year, we’re returning — out of these 12, nine of them have come back. Nine of them are 11 years old, so they’ll be back next year and make another run for it.”

As for Canfield, the attention shifts to the state tournament, which last year’s team won in Boardman with a championship victory vs. Wheelersburg.

“[Let’s] just keep going,” Jeff Handel said of his message to his team ahead of state. “Just keep all the energy up. Keep the offense moving. Play great defense in the field. Just try and get better from where we are right now.”