Team Hope got all the runs it needed with a three-run first inning. But it rolled from there to a 13-2 victory to capture the Mount Vernon Girls Softball League 16U championship on June 27, at Memorial Park.
Kate Merillat and Julia Ellis had three hits apiece to lead Team Hope. Merillat hit a home run and drove in two, Ellis added a pair of doubles and Bre McCluskey struck out five batters in a complete-game win in the circle.
Raelynn Williams and Karma Carpenter had two hits each for CQ. Williams had an RBI, Carpenter hit a double and Maddy Costamire had six strikeouts.
CQ Construction 7, Ariel 5
CQ scored four runs in the first inning and led from there in a 7-5 victory over Ariel in the consolation final on June 27.
Megan Driggs, Raelynn Williams and Maddy Costamire had two hits each to lead CQ. Driggs hit a home run and Costamire struck out eight batters in the circle.
Maddy Morrison had two hits, including a double, and drove in a run, and Chelsea King had six strikeouts to lead Ariel.
CQ Construction 6, Griffin Insurance 3
CQ took a 4-0 lead into the fourth before Griffin rallied back to close within one. But it wasn’t enough as CQ went on to win 6-3 in the consolation semifinal round on June 27.
Maddy Costamire struck out eight batters in the circle and added a home run at the plate and Lauren Risko had three hits and an RBI to lead CQ.
Morgan Yoder struck out seven and Azaya Rine had two hits, including a triple, and drove in a run for Griffin.
Team Hope 15, Ariel 2
Team Hope pounded out 23 hits as a team. It scored three runs in the first inning and rolled to a 15-2 win over Ariel in a semifinal matchup on June 27.
Bre McCluskey had three hits – a home run and two doubles – and drove in two runs. She added five strikeouts in relief to lead Team Hope.
Broegan Staats, Sierra Derr, Emily Marshall and Kate Merillat also had three hits apiece for Team Hope. Staats had a triple and an RBI, Marshall had a double and an RBI, and Derr and Merillat each drove in runs.
Chloe Calbert had two hits, including triple, and Chelsea King struck out five to lead Ariel.
Griffin Insurance 9, Lady Amvets 3
Griffin broke a scoreless tie with a three-run third inning and took the lead for good in the process on its way to a 9-3 win in a consolation bracket quarterfinal matchup on June 26.
Morgan Yoder struck out eight and had two hits and two RBIs to pace Griffin. Azaya Rine also had two hits and Rine and Yoder each hit a double.
Kaylynn Ott, Kaitlyn Evans, Liz Leonard and Emme Cline had two hits each, and Abby Sapp struck out seven batters in the circle to lead Lady Amvets. Evans finished with a triple and an RBI, and Ott also drove in a run.
Team Hope 6, Lady Amvets 3
Team Hope scored all of the runs it needed in a four-run first inning and went on to beat Lady Amvets 6-3 in a semifinal game on June 26.
Kaitlyn Evans struck out seven batters in a complete game in the circle and added a home run at the plate to lead Team Hope. Ava Pullins added two hits, including a double.
Bre McCluskey had Lady Amvets’ only hit – a double. She also drove in a run.
Ariel 11, CQ Construction 1
Ariel scored a run in the first inning and scored another in the second inning. But it was a seven-run fifth inning that blew open an 11-1 win over CQ in a quarterfinal matchup on June 26.
Kylie Stewart hit a home run and double and drove in run and Haylee Holland had two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs to lead Ariel on offense. Chelsea King tossed a complete game, striking out six to get the win.
Megan Driggs had four strikeouts for CQ.
CQ Construction 8, Griffin Insurance 0
CQ plated three runs in the first inning and rolled to an 8-0 win over Griffin in the first round on June 26.
Maddy Costamire struck out 10 batters in a complete game in the circle. Costamire and Raelynn Williams had two hits each at the plate to lead CQ. Costamire hit a home run and a double and drove in two runs, and Williams hit a double.
Morgan Yoder had nine strikeouts to lead Griffin.
Front row (left to right): Broegan Staats, Izzy Quinlivan, Emily Marshall, Julia Ellis and Bre McCluskey.
Second row: Head coach Rahn McCluskey, Camberley Edminster, Isabel Tooley, Lindsey Calkins, MyKenzie Neitzelt, Sierra Derr, Kate Merillat, assistant coach Matt Ellis.
