By Roger Gordon

Correspondent

WATERLOO

Sophomore third baseman Kristlyn Kehrer tied a school record when she socked three home runs in leading 15th-seeded Waterloo to a 13-0 rout at 12th-seeded Campbell Memorial on May 14 in a Division VI sectional game that was called after five innings due to the 10-run rule.

Kehrer’s bombs came in the third, fourth and fifth innings. She also singled, drove in five runs and scored four times. The only other Vikings player to hit three homers in a game was Amber Cieplinski in 2019.

“Every time Kristlyn got to bat, she hit the ball hard. It was just a great hitting performance,” head coach Brenda Flarida said.

Freshman Jolean Hampton homered, doubled, knocked in three runs and scored three times. On the mound, Hampton started and went the distance in yielding just two hits while striking out six and walking none.

“Jolean had command the whole game,” said Flarida. “Overall, we played really well. We hit the ball really well.”

Five days later, on May 19 in a district semifinal at Columbia Station Columbia, the score was tied 1-1 heading into the last of the sixth inning. It seemed like a real possibility that Waterloo would advance to a district title game. Five runs in that sixth frame by the seventh-seeded Raiders, though, led to an eventual 6-1 defeat for the Vikings, who ended the season with a 12-11 record.

Hampton did her best on the mound and at the plate but to no avail. She started and went the distance while striking out eight and walking just one. She also doubled, singled and scored a run.

The coach believes the future is bright for the program.

“We had no seniors this year,” she said, “and I lost seven returning lettermen last year, so we were very, very young, very new at many positions this season. I think we grew leaps and bounds from the beginning of the season. I’m very, very optimistic for next season because we have a whole season of varsity experience under our belt with everybody returning. We have a lot to look forward to.”

STREETSBORO

Streetsboro took a 6-5 lead into the top of the seventh inning against 11th-seeded Ashtabula Edgewood on May 19 in a Division IV district semifinal at home.

The Warriors scored twice in that final inning to forge ahead 7-6.

The eighth-seeded Rockets managed to get the tying run to third base in the bottom of the frame, but were unable to get it in as their final record finished the season at 17-9.

“It’s always hard to lose a game like that, especially going into the seventh inning with the lead,” head coach LeRoy Moore said. “I know it was disappointing the way it happened, but I told the girls they needed to keep their heads up. It was a really well played softball game. It was back and forth the whole game.”

Sophomore Amy Rein started and went four innings, giving up five runs and seven hits, while striking out two and walking four. Junior Payton Williams entered in relief.

“It was really a gut check for Amy,” said Moore. “She was out sick all of last week, so we really didn’t know what we could expect from her. She gutted it up, though. After four innings, we could tell she was kind of running out of gas. Payton did a good job. … Edgewood got a clutch double in the gap with two outs to drive in the tying and winning runs. They were patient at the plate.”

Offensively, senior first baseman Hailey Miller had a double, two singles, three RBI and a run. Sophomore center fielder Olivia Knepper had a double, a single, an RBI and two runs.

Rein helped her own cause by doubling, singling and driving in a run.

Four days earlier, on May 15 also at home, Streetsboro defeated 24th-seeded Pepper Pike Orange 11-6 in a sectional game.

Williams started and went six innings, yielding five runs (but only two earned) and nine hits while striking out six and walking none.

“Payton did what we asked her to do, not giving any free passes,” said the coach. “She pitched well.”

Senior Sydney Burfield pitched the final inning and closed out the game.

At the plate freshman shortstop Ella Simpson singled, doubled, tripled, knocked in a run and scored three times.

“Ella had been struggling at the plate prior to this game,” Moore said, “but it seemed like she got into a groove.”

Senior right fielder Audriana Wert had a single, a double, an RBI and a run, while sophomore catcher Olivia DeToro singled twice, drove in a run and scored once.

The next day, on May 16, the Rockets lost 10-0 at home to Solon in their final regular-season game, which was shortened to five innings due to the 10-run rule. Five Streetsboro errors were a big reason that only two of the Comets’ runs were earned.

“Solon had a good pitcher,” said Moore. “She moved the ball around on our girls, and they just had trouble adjusting to that.”

The home team’s only hit came on a bunt single by junior left fielder Kendall Epple. Wert, the starting pitcher in this game, went 2 1/3 innings, giving up three unearned runs and seven hits. Burfield pitched the next 2 1/3 innings in yielding seven runs (but only two earned) and seven hits while fanning two. Williams pitched the last inning.

Even though Streetsboro’s season ended in heartbreaking fashion, Moore was nonetheless pleased with his team this year.

“A 17-9 record is nothing to hang your head about. The 17 wins set a school record,” he said. “We finished 10-4 and in third place in the Metro Athletic Conference after going 5-9 last year. One of our objectives was to turn this program around, and I’d say that improvement is heading in the right direction. The future looks bright. We’re only losing four seniors. We have good classes of sophomores and freshmen coming back. We’re looking forward to bigger and better things next year.”

RAVENNA

Whitney Holmes fired a no-hitter May 15 in 22nd-seeded Ravenna’s 8-0 home win over 26th-seeded Mentor Lake Catholic in a Division IV sectional game. The senior struck out six and walked only one.

“It was a great job by Whitney,” head coach Luke Darrah said. “It’s very, very difficult to throw a no-hitter no matter how good you are. You always need a little luck. Whitney did that all season long. She showed up ready to play. Not only was she our Most Valuable Player, she was our most consistent player. She really had a tremendous season.”

Holmes helped her own cause at the plate with two singles, three RBI and two runs.

Junior catcher Mallory Sterba singled three times and knocked in a run.

“That was a good game for Mallory at the right time,” said Darrah. “She led our team in on-base percentage this year. She walked a lot, has a good eye at the plate. She had a good year.”

Freshman second baseman Jocelynn Smallwood had a double, two singles, an RBI and a run; sophomore left fielder Amiah Templeton tripled, singled, drove in two runs and scored twice; and freshman shortstop Savanna McKeown doubled, singled, knocked in a run and scored once.

Five days later, on May 20, the Ravens lost 5-1 at sixth-seeded West Branch in a district semifinal to end the season with an 11-12 record.

Holmes started and went 3 2/3 innings in giving up four runs and five hits while walking two. Smallwood, who also pitches, relieved Holmes and went the last 2 1/3 innings in yielding a run and three hits while fanning three.

“Whitney did very, very well,” Darrah said. “She started having arm trouble, and they started hitting her, so we switched to Jocelynn, who pitched well.”

Sterba and Holmes both singled twice. Sterba had an RBI.

“We had good pitching and we played good defense,” said the coach. “We just got beat.” Darrah was happy with his team’s attitude throughout the season.

“Ravenna was not very good in the past, did not have good records,” he said. “The kids came in, we asked them to do certain things, and they did them. They kind of bought what we were selling. They worked hard, they did all the drills the way they were supposed to do them and it paid off — in wins, in conference wins, in individual performances. What a coach wants is kids to work hard and to believe them when they tell them stuff, and these kids did. It was a real pleasure to coach them.”

SOUTHEAST

Southeast exploded out of the gate by hanging up seven runs in the bottom of the first inning in an eventual 17-1 home win over 22nd-seeded Chagrin Falls on May 13 in a Division V sectional game called after 4 ½ innings due to the 10-run rule.

The ninth-seeded Pirates scored in every inning. Leading the way was junior Morgan Muncy, who had a triple, a double, a single and a run. Freshman center fielder Bella Mowery had a triple, a single, an RBI and three runs; junior right fielder Bailey Morris singled twice, drove in a run and scored three times; and freshman second baseman Lilly Hayes singled twice, knocked in two runs and scored once.

“Everybody was getting hits,” head coach Erin Muncy said. “It was a real collective win.”

On the mound, junior Liv Bragg started and went three innings, yielding two hits while striking out five and walking none. Sophomore Miranda Timko pitched the last two innings in giving up a run and no hits while striking out five and walking two.

“Liv and Miranda both pitched great,” said the elder Muncy. “They were hitting their spots and getting easy outs.”

Six days later, on May 19, Southeast lost 12-4 at home to 12th-seeded West Salem Northwestern in a district semifinal. The Pirates wound up with a final record of 16-10. Bragg started and went three innings in giving up five runs and seven hits while striking out three and walking one. Sophomore Savannah Powell then pitched an inning in giving up four runs and four hits while fanning one. Hayes pitched the final three innings, yielding three runs and three hits while striking out four and walking two.

Northwestern scored in every inning but the sixth.

“They really hit the ball well,” Muncy said. “They had lots of back-to-back hits. They did a nice job of putting the ball in play and hitting it where we weren’t.”

The younger Muncy had three singles and an RBI and set the school record with a .624 batting average, breaking her own mark set last season, which broke her own mark set the season before that.

Said the elder Muncy, “What makes Morgan so good is her work ethic and how hard she works and practices and her overall pitch selection at the plate.”

The coach was happy with her team’s season.

“I feel we had a really great year,” she said. “It’s the most wins we’ve had in some time. Our team really played like a team. Everybody jelled well together. We had a lot of young players and only one senior, but all the newcomers did a great job. We’re excited for the future because of the youth that we have.”

KENT ROOSEVELT

Kent Roosevelt faced a tall task in its Division III sectional game May 15. The 39th-seeded Rough Riders were up against second-seeded Boardman on the road. The visitors put up a good fight and actually had a 3-0 lead early; they trailed just 6-5 going into the bottom of the fourth inning.

It was pretty much all Spartans from that point on. Kent Roosevelt wound up falling 13-6.

Junior Brynn Moser started and went two innings. Katlyn Ciolek, her classmate, pitched the rest of the way.

“My pitchers were stretched thin because we were battling injuries and numbers,” head coach Taylor Johnson said. “This was the first time in six years that we had a junior varsity team.

The girls were okay in helping out the JV team. They were tired, but they gave it their all. At the end of the day, though, you can’t beat good hitters. Boardman’s batters were hitting spots where we weren’t, they were hitting gap shots, they were hitting home runs. They’re a very good hitting team. It was no bad reflection on our pitchers because they gave everything they had on that field. They gave me 100 percent.”

Offensively, senior Avery Gates had a home run, a single, two RBI and a run.

“Avery was such a leader offensively this season. She was our clean-up hitter,” said Johnson. “She represented our team and our program very well on the offensive side.”

The coach knew this was going to be a rebuilding season but said her team’s 3-17-1 final record is deceiving.

“There were new expectations, new goals, new standards by everybody in the program, and there were some growing pains, but the girls got on board. We battled with Aurora, we battled with Tallmadge, we battled with Cuyahoga Falls, we battled with Barberton, Highland. In years before, we were getting 10-run ruled. This year we were not. We came out fighting. We’re a very resilient team. Looking forward, we have good, very athletic classes coming up. This program is going to start shocking more people little by little.”