18 hours Ago By Bill Beckner
Grizzled veteran coach Jim Armstrong may have said it best. “Walking her is like giving her a triple,” Franklin Regional softball’s head man said of Toryn Fulton, his star 6-foot shortstop. The long-legged South Florida commit put on a baserunning clinic in Wednesday’s 12-2, run-rule victory over visiting Kiski Area in Section 2-5A.
Fulton stole five bases, swiping second, third and home in one inning, and also doubled, homered and had three RBIs and three runs as the Panthers (5-2, 2-0) took care of business in five innings for their fourth straight win. “You know, I swear she can steal a base in five strides,” Kiski Area coach John Kinnamon said. “It’s just different.
It’s something to watch someone of that caliber.” The star power at Franklin Regional doesn’t end with Fulton. Ciara Camacho can be just as dangerous.
A Kent State recruit, Camacho tripled and drove in four runs for the Panthers, who trailed early but rallied for the second day in a row, this time in a big way. They came back to top McKeesport, 6-4, on Tuesday. “We took them lightly,” Camacho said of McKeesport.
“With us, when you think it’s over, it’s not over.” This time, Alyssa Perona smacked a two-run homer to give Kiski Area (1-4, 1-1) a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. But so much more offense was yet to come.
Franklin Regional scored 12 unanswered runs, with six in the second and three in the fifth to close out the Cavaliers. The Panthers, who got at least one hit from eight starters, stole nine bases. “We played a good, clean game, which I was glad to see,” Armstrong said.
“Toryn and Ciara are the main cogs, but the girls feed off what they do. Our top six all came up big.” Camacho ripped a two-run triple, C.
C. Copeland followed with an RBI single and Fulton hit a run-scoring double in the second, before Adrianna Martz’s RBI groundout made it 7-2. One of four Kiski Area errors led to the eighth run in the third, and Fulton swiped three bases in the fourth after she walked to start the inning, making it 9-2.
Fulton admitted she doesn’t wait for coaches to send her. “When I get on, I just steal,” said Fulton, who turned a 6-3 double play in the fourth. “I stole all the way around without a hit.
We didn’t give up early and kept fighting.” Alexandria Speranza led off the fifth with a single, and Olivia Cowell reached on an error. Camacho’s groundout scored a run, and Copeland’s sacrifice fly made it 11-2.
That brought up Fulton, who launched a high drive over the fence in left for a solo home run to sign her work and end it early. “I said to Toryn, no more stolen bases,” Armstrong said with a laugh. “She said, OK, I’ll just hit a home run then.
” Kiski Area had to shuffle some players early on, which was an adjustment. “It was position roulette after we had an injury,” Kinnamon said. “We had four girls in new positions.
We hit the ball hard. “Fulton and Camacho are just the best athletes on the field. I wish I had nine of them.
They are fun to watch.” Perona went 2 for 2 for Kiski Area. Ava Rhoten had two hits for Franklin Regional.
Chloe Lancaster picked up the pitching win, striking out four and allowing six hits across four innings. Aubrey West took the loss for the Cavaliers, who are allowing 9.8 runs a game.
The game started about 15 minutes later than scheduled due to a quick-moving thunderstorm. A tarp kept the infield dry, and the players warmed up soon after the rain stopped. Bill Beckner Jr.
is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at [email protected] .
Tags: Franklin Regional , Kiski Area.
