Brookfield softball falls to Poland in OHSAA Div. III district semifinal

May 16—BEAVER TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Tuesday afternoon featured a rematch between the Poland and Brookfield softball teams.

Poland hosted and beat the Warriors for Brookfield's first loss of the season. And on Tuesday, the Bulldogs handed them their last loss of the season.

The Warriors fell 10-3 to Poland in a Division III district semifinal at South Range High School.

"For us, in the first three innings especially, it wasn't like we were striking out a bunch of times," Brookfield head coach David DeJoy said. "We put the bat to the ball pretty good. It's just we were finding defenders, whereas they were finding spots on the field and over the fence."

Katie McDonald, who recently signed with Cleveland State softball, was credited with the win. She allowed three runs on nine hits and struck out eight in the complete game.

The Bulldogs also got a big game from shortstop Mary Brant, who finished 2-for-3 with five RBIs and two runs scored. She hit two home runs to lead the Bulldog lineup.

Meredith Trevish hit a two-run home run for the Bulldogs (16-8), and Ellianna Thompson and Leanna Boccieri both went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Boccieri scored three times while Thompson crossed twice.

Miranda Nicholson was given the loss in a complete game. She surrendered 10 runs — nine earned — on 15 hits and a walk, striking out three.

Katie Logan homered for Brookfield (19-5), Katie Gibson and Abby DeJoy finished 2-for-3 at the plate. Cadence Huffman recorded 2-for-4 days. Gibson finished with an RBI, and Huffman and Abby DeJoy scored once.

Poland opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Thompson doubled to led off the home half, and Boccieri drove in the leadoff hitter with an RBI single up the middle. Boccieri scored two batters later on a two-out bloop single from Leanne Williams, who came home on a two-run home run to left-center field by Trevis.

Brookfield countered with a two-out solo home run from Logan to center in the top of the third.

After a leadoff single from Boccieri in the third, Brant followed with a two-run shot over the left-center field fence, putting the Bulldogs ahead 6-1.

The Warriors made it a 6-3 game in the top of the sixth. Huffman reached on a leadoff single to center. Abby DeJoy followed with a single to center, but the ball got past outfielder Avery Jakubovic. Huffman came around to score and Abby DeJoy reached second. After back-to-back strikeouts from McDonald, Abby DeJoy finally touched home on a single to right from Gibson.

An offensive outburst by the Bulldogs in the home half of the sixth put an end to any thought of a Brookfield comeback.

Jakubovic reached on a throwing error from shortstop to lead off the inning. Thompson followed with a double to the fence in right, scoring Jakubovic. A single to right by Boccieri set up Brant's second home run of the day — a three-run bomb to left — giving the Bulldogs a 10-3 advantage.

Sophia Hook tripled with one out in the seventh, but she was stranded on base.

The Warriors were bumped up from Division IV to Division III during the offseason. In response, David DeJoy added some newer faces to the schedule in Division II Crestwood and Howland and Division I Boardman.

David DeJoy's decision paid off, and the Warriors advanced to the district round once again. The last time the Warriors failed to reach the district semifinals during a playable season came in 2015.

"A lot of the teams we had on the schedule early really prepared us," David DeJoy said. "We thought we had a good game plan coming in, just need to execute a few things better but that's where we end up."

It was the final game for a potential lineup of Brookfield seniors. The nine-member senior class is: Abby DeJoy, Maddie Thomas, Jenna Pugh, McKyah Graybill, Latesha Love, Nicholson, Gibson, Hook and Logan.

Brookfield's 19 wins on the year were one of the most successful seasons in program history. Nicholson won 17 games with an ERA of 2.58, Abby DeJoy led the team with 14 home runs and 41 RBIs and Hook registered 18 extra-base hits (14 doubles and four triples).

"They never quit or gave up at any point in the season," David DeJoy said. "Great people, great kids from great families and they all have very bright futures ahead of them. As a coach and as a dad, I can't wait to see what they do with their lives, and I look forward to that.

"Special group. It's gonna be really hard to see it end this way, but that's where we're at."