For Fitch, that’s all the Falcons needed when it really meant the most.

Fitch junior Maddy Taylor wasn’t initially sure that the ball was going to clear the left-field fence in the fifth inning Monday at Fitch High School. But the heroic two-run homer lifted the Falcons to a 4-2 win over Chardon and sealed Fitch’s first trip to a Division I district final since 2013.

“I kind of thought that it was going to drop down in left-center over there, but knowing that it went over felt so good,” an excited Taylor said following the win. “Every time I go up to bat, I just think that I’ve got to get a little hit, that’s all I think.

“I don’t think of anything big, I don’t go up and stress about anything, I just relax.”

Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes Fitch freshman Ayla Ray smacks a double to left field, one of three hits that the Falcons recorded Monday afternoon in their 4-2 victory over Chardon.

Fitch starting pitcher senior Lydia Spalding gave up two of the four home runs she’s yielded this year to the Hilltoppers, but limited the damage to a pair of solo shots.

Scoring on a wild pitch followed by an error, Spalding tied the contest at two runs a piece in the bottom of the fifth, setting up Taylor’s huge moment with sophomore Caitlin Mitchell on base.

“Our group is something special, we’ve got a saying that we don’t care who does it, just as long as we do it, and we did it tonight,” Fitch coach Steven Ward said. “Maddy Taylor obviously had a great big hit, but it’s a total team effort, and they never quit.

“I think I almost blew out my hamstring jumping up and down. I was so excited for it, because we had that little situation beforehand, so when I got to talk to Maddy, she just said ‘Coach, I got this, don’t worry about it.’ ”

Fitch improves to 17-2 on the campaign, reaching its first district title game in eight years, while also having the privilege of hosting.

Spalding (12-0), a Penn State commit, fanned 11 Hilltoppers while only allowing three hits in her complete game win.

The Falcons only recorded a trio of hits themselves, but fighting through adversity and accomplishing plenty of success after losing the 2020 season characterizes a team that’s eyeing a potential district title.

“It’s awesome, it’s honestly like one of the greatest feelings ever, especially having your teammates have your back through everything,” Taylor said. “I know that we can go really far into the tournament.

“We are so close together, we’ve gotten so close this season, just being together is one of the greatest feelings.”

The top-seeded Falcons will face off against fifth-seeded North Canton Hoover on Wednesday at 5 p.m.