Her senior encore has been just as impressive.
Spence, who has signed to play softball at Division III Wilmington College, is 5-0 for the Indians with four complete games. She left Fairfield’s 19-2 win this week over Middletown early after she pitched enough innings to earn the win.
Her microscopic 0.78 ERA is second-best in the conference, and her 31 strikeouts is fourth-best.
She has continued to improve every year since her freshman season, said Coach Brenda Stieger, now in her 30th season.
“She keeps blossoming,” Stieger said. “Her exceptions and our exceptions keep rising.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
The right-hander said her fastball tops out at 59 mph and her 45 mph change-up keeps hitters off balance. She doesn’t worry about her number of strikeouts.
“An out is an out,” she said. “I have lots of good players behind me.”
Besides softball, the 5-foot-8 Spence has played volleyball and basketball. But her first love is softball.
“There’s just so much action, especially when you’re pitching,” she said.
Last season, Fairfield suffered a 10-0 loss to the defending champion and fourth-ranked Austintown-Fitch Falcons in the Division I state semifinals.
Fairfield finished 23-4, reaching the state tournament for the first time in 33 years. Fairfield fell to Akron Springfield 8-1 in the semifinals in 1991.
Spence was one reason for the Indians’ 2024 success.
To reach the state semifinals, Fairfield had to beat Centerville in the regional final. Spence was handed the ball.
She tossed a three-hit shutout as Fairfield beat Centerville 1-0.
Stieger still remembers that victory that finally sent Fairfield to the state semifinals.
“I get choked up just thinking about that,” she said.
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