CANFIELD — Kids grow up. Things change, especially for athletes that have moved from high school athletics to a Division I collegiate sports program.

But, refreshingly, not everything, or everyone, changes. At least not entirely.

As I had seen dozens of times during their three-sport athletic careers at Edgewood and Jefferson, respectively, I watched as Katie McMellen and Courtney Francis led their team to victory.

The dynamic duo, now toiling for Conneaut graduate Sabrina Lane on the St. Francis (Pa.) softball team, took advantage of a rare opportunity to play close to home and paced the Red Flash to a doubleheader sweep, 3-1 and 4-3, of Youngstown State in front of family and friends at McCune Park on Thursday.

“I thought it was fun,” McMellen said. “It’s nice to have our families here watching. It was like a home game for us.”

“This was the first time (this season) they’ve been able to watch me play,” Francis said. “It was really nice to see them and a couple of my friends come.

“It’s just nice to be in the same state, but it is close to home.”

Though the games weren’t specifically scheduled to get Francis and McMellen closer to home, Lane and her staff found it fitting the girls performed well in front of the local contingency.

“It’s funny,” Lane said. “My assistant asked me if I found it ironic that you were here watching today and the two Northeast Ohio girls played really well. There is a bit of irony there. Katie is perennially a solid defender. Courtney, we’re still trying to teach how to play the outfield.

“She’s not the most graceful thing out there, but she’ll do anything the team needs. And that’s what we need most right now. She probably saved three runs today at least.”

The outfield is somewhat of a new adventure for Francis, who was a catcher, shortstop and third basemen during her days with the Falcons and Ohio Jaguars.

“I don’t consider myself an outfielder,” Francis, who is listed on the St. Francis roster as a utility player, said. “I just try to catch the ball.”

Both McMellen, the daughter of Jay and Barb McMellen, and Francis, the daughter of Scott and Melinda Francis, as sophomores, have been asked to step in and fill big roles for the Red Flash this season. And if the sweep of the Penguins is any indication, the pair is starting to do just that.

“The team is so young, you can’t rely on older players to do it,” Francis said. “You have to do it yourself.”

“It’s good for both of us,” McMellen said. “We’re both stepping into bigger roles. At the college level, at a certain point, age doesn’t really matter.”

Francis started both games in left field and batted eighth in the first game, ninth in the second. McMellen was the shortstop for both contests and batted ninth in the first game. In the nightcap, she was the flex player and did not bat.

Francis was 1-for-3 in the first game with an RBI double in the top half of the fifth to give the Red Flash an insurance run and a 3-1 lead.

“I finally got my bat back,” she said. “My parents just brought it to me today. It’s a Rocket Tech. They haven’t made them for like four years.

“Any ball hit off that bat feels good.”

McMellen was 0-for-3 but reached on an error in the third.

The bigger contribution made by the two was in the field. Francis, constantly having to run long distances or dive for balls, made three putouts — all on liners.

After making a difficult catch at her shins on a sinking liner to end the fourth, Lane looked to the stands and joked with Scott Francis.

“Who taught her how to catch line drives?” she asked.

“Her grandpa,” retorted Francis, who was referring to his dad, Evan Francis.

“I think she’s saved four runs today,” Lane responded. “That’s great.”

McMellen had six assists and a putout, converting a double play on a sharp one-hopper up the middle.

In the second game, Francis walked to lead off the third and later scored to give the Red Flash a 3-0 lead. She also made three putouts.

“Courtney is trying to win a spot in the outfield,” Lane said. “We have three youngsters out there. They’re trying to sow their oats a little bit. They’re all trying to figure out what they’re doing.”

McMellen made a pair of putouts while diving for soft liners and recorded four assists.

“We’re just taught that every pitch, the ball can come to you. I like having balls hit to me.”

“Katie made some great plays today,” Lane said.

The contributions of McMellen and Francis were a key part of the Red Flash (5-9) having one of the more memorable days of the young season.

“That was probably the best we’ve been defensively,” Lane said. “That’s probably the first two-game stretch that we had good hitting, good pitching and played good defensively.”

That they made those contributions as close to home as they did was just a bonus.

“It does (make me happy to see them play well so close to home),” Lane said. “They’re great kids. They’re all great kids and they come from great families across the board. But it is nice to see them play in front of a hometown crowd and do well.”

But it wasn’t much of a surprise — the dynamic duo has been doing that for years now. It just happens that it’s on the biggest stage they’ve played on.



Ettinger is a sports writer for the Star Beacon. Reach him at bettinger@starbeacon.com.