Brecksville's Chelsea Mack sets Ohio high school softball single-season stolen base record

Michael Beaven, Akron Beacon Journal
·6 min read
Brecksville baserunner Chelsea Mack, left, sprints home after stealing third during the first inning of a softball game against the Stow Bulldogs on Wednesday.
Brecksville baserunner Chelsea Mack, left, sprints home after stealing third during the first inning of a softball game against the Stow Bulldogs on Wednesday.

Brecksville senior center fielder Chelsea Mack utilized her speed to set an Ohio high school softball single-season state record Tuesday.

Mack stole five bases in a 10-3 regular-season win at Triway to become the state's single-season stolen base leader with 81 stolen bases. She broke the previous state record of 79 that was held by her sister Alexis Mack, a 2015 Brecksville graduate.

This was Brecksville's final game this year, giving the Bees a 27-4 record.

More: Who are Greater Akron's top high school softball players in 2022? Here are 25 to watch

Chelsea Mack was successful stealing 81 times in 83 attempts in 2022. Brecksville totaled 273 stolen bases in 288 attempts this season, according to coach Rex Mack, who is married to Kathy Mack and is the father of Alexis, Ethan and Chelsea.

Chelsea Mack also has the third most stolen bases in a season with 73 stolen bases as a junior in 2021. The other players in the top five for stolen bases in a season are Bellville Clear Fork's Taylor Kline (72, 2013) and Springfield's Deanna Cole (70, 2013).

Alexis Mack is the state's career stolen bases leader with 234 during her Brecksville career (2012-15). Alexis then played in three College World Series. She led the Pac-10 in batting average (.424) and stolen bases (28) during her sophomore season playing for Oregon. At Alabama, Alexis was an All-SEC and All-American selection.

Chelsea Mack, a Kentucky recruit, finished her three-year career at Brecksville with 207 stolen bases, the third most in OHSAA history. There could have been even more steals, but the 2020 season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The girls are different from each other," Rex Mack said. "Alexis was very intense and Chelsea is a lot more free spirited and the way she approaches the game is a lot more free. They both are competitors. Alexis was such an intense competitor. Having coached them, it is a challenge. Anybody who has been a parent-coach will say it is a challenge because you are harder on your kid.

"... It is really fulfilling to coach your children. With the second kid, Chelsea was great because her sister, Alexis, probably coached her as much or more than I did. I didn't have to coach her as much because she knows the game and can adjust and do things on her own without me having to say anything because of the impact of her sister. That was cool. They would spend time together breaking down games."

Kline is second on the all-time stolen bases list with 212 from 2011-2014 and Shelby's Kennadie Goth is fourth with 200 stolen bases from 2014-2017.

Brecksville's Chelsea Mack
Brecksville's Chelsea Mack

Chelsea Mack totaled three singles, one RBI, three runs and five stolen bases to lead Brecksville against Triway (28-2), a Division II state semifinalist that beat Archbishop Hoban in a district final Saturday at Nordonia.

Triway sophomore standout Carter Wachtel did not pitch against Brecksville. The Titans topped the Bees in a regular-season game earlier this season.

Brecksville's other key hitters Tuesday were senior Grace O’Malley (single, double, RBI, two runs) and freshman Gianna Roth (single, walk, RBI, two runs, three stolen bases). Bees sophomore pitchers Anna Wise and Emma Cozza combined to limit Triway to three hits. Wise got the win and finished the season with a 25-2 record.

O'Malley, a University of Toledo recruit, set Brecksville's single-season record for RBI (52), and Wise's 25 pitching wins is also a Bees single-season record.

"We did our job helping them get ready for the state tournament," Rex Mack said. "... We really did expect to go deeper than a [Division I] regional semifinal, but the game against Austintown Fitch was a great game and they bested us [last week]."

Brecksville's season included a Suburban League National Conference championship and a 21-game winning streak that spanned from April 2 to May 13.

The streak included two victories apiece over Hudson, North Royalton, Stow, Nordonia, Wadsworth, Twinsburg and Cleveland St. Joseph Academy; and single wins over North Canton Hoover, Eastlake North, Willoughby South, Mount Vernon, South Range, North Ridgeville and Cleveland Rhodes.

The Bees will bid farewell to three seniors: Mack, O'Malley and Zoey Pontikos.

Mack finished season with a .726 batting average, a .726 on-base percentage, a .924 slugging percentage, 77 hits, 13 doubles, two home runs, 32 RBIs and 57 runs. She was named the Suburban League National Conference Player of the Year and a first-team All-Ohio selection in Division I.

Wise was named the Suburban League National Conference Pitcher of the Year and a first-team All-Ohio selection in Division I. She finished the season 25-3 in the circle with a 0.70 ERA and 145 strikeouts, and also batted .446 with 41 hits, 13 doubles, one home run and 31 RBIs.

O'Malley had a .515 batting average, a .555 on-base percentage, 50 hits, nine doubles, two triples, one home run, 52 RBIs, 33 runs and 22 stolen bases. She was honorable mention All-Ohio selection in Division I.

Kaleigh Urbanowicz was another impact player with a .413 batting average, 38 hits, 36 runs, 45 stolen bases and 18 RBIs.

More: Who are Greater Akron's top high school baseball players in 2022? Here's 25 to watch

Revere's Ryan Shimek celebrates at second base during the third inning of a Division II district semifinal baseball game against Beachwood in May 2021 at Revere High School.
Revere's Ryan Shimek celebrates at second base during the third inning of a Division II district semifinal baseball game against Beachwood in May 2021 at Revere High School.

Big day for Revere senior Ryan Shimek

Senior Ryan Shimek collected three hits Tuesday in a 7-6 loss to host Hillsdale in 10 innings to establish a Revere single-season record for hits at 46.

Shimek hit a double, a home run and a single and scored two runs against Hillsdale.

Ty Sowers, 28, of North Canton Hoover is "welcomed" back to the dugout by Will Paz, 16, during a Division I district semifinal baseball game against Dover at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium in Canton on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.
Ty Sowers, 28, of North Canton Hoover is "welcomed" back to the dugout by Will Paz, 16, during a Division I district semifinal baseball game against Dover at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium in Canton on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.

North Canton Hoover rolls to victory

North Canton Hoover (19-7) earned a 10-0 baseball win in five innings over visiting South Range on Tuesday in a regular-season game at Dick Miller Field ahead of the Vikings' regional semifinal against Walsh Jesuit at Louisville on Thursday.

Hoover pitchers Mason Bille and Mason Ashby combined on the shutout and limited South Range to four hits. Hoover's Ty Sowers hit two doubles, walked, scored a run and had two RBIs. Ashby contributed two singles, a run, an RBI and two stolen bases, Deacon Heather added a single, a double, two RBIs and a run and Andrew Roach scored two runs.

Walsh Jesuit center fielder Andrew Gormley reacts after left fielder Will Harding makes a diving catch on a ball hit by Mayfield's Matt Snider during the 5th inning of the Warriors 10-1 win in the Division I District Final on Wednesday, May 26, 2022 in Macedonia, Ohio, at Nordonia High School.
Walsh Jesuit center fielder Andrew Gormley reacts after left fielder Will Harding makes a diving catch on a ball hit by Mayfield's Matt Snider during the 5th inning of the Warriors 10-1 win in the Division I District Final on Wednesday, May 26, 2022 in Macedonia, Ohio, at Nordonia High School.

Walsh Jesuit keeps hitting, winning

Walsh Jesuit (24-5) secured an 11-10 baseball win over host South Range on Monday in a regular season game ahead of the Warriors' regional semifinal on Thursday.

WJ's Mason Eckelman, Andrew Gormley and Kasey Kish each hit three singles. Gormley also had two RBIs and scored twice. Eckelman and Kish's stat lines also included two RBIs and one run.

The WJ offense also featured Henry Kaczmar (two singles, RBI) and Will Harding (single, two runs).

Archbishop Hoban second baseman Shawn Parnell (24) celebrates after his inside the park home run against Bay Village during the fifth inning of a Division II district semifinal baseball game in North Ridgeville on Monday, May 23, 2022.
Archbishop Hoban second baseman Shawn Parnell (24) celebrates after his inside the park home run against Bay Village during the fifth inning of a Division II district semifinal baseball game in North Ridgeville on Monday, May 23, 2022.

Archbishop Hoban earns 20th win

Hoban (20-9) recorded a 7-5 baseball win over Chardon on Monday in a regular-season game at the University of Akron ahead of the Knights' regional semifinal against Sandusky Perkins at Bowling Green on Thursday.

Shawn Parnell led the Knights with a double, a triple, one run and two RBIs.

Hoban's other top hitters were Nolan Holmgren (single, double, run, two RBIs); Zachary Zimmerman (single, run, two RBIs); and Masud Jennings (single, walk, two runs).

Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Beaven on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/MBeavenABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Brecksville senior Chelsea Mack sets Ohio high school softball record