Louisville Blanks Buckeye 7-0 to Win Back-to-Back District Titles – Softball
#18 Louisville 7, #4 Medina Buckeye 0
<<< Vs. St. Vincent-St. Mary | Softball Schedule
The #18 seed Louisville Leopards shut out the #4 seed Medina Buckeye Bucks 7-0 in the DIII Northeast 5 District Championship Friday evening at LaBrae High School. With their fourth straight victory, Louisville clinched a winning season, improved to 15-13, and advanced to regionals for the second straight season.
The Lady Leopards will next take on the #12 seed Holy Name Green Wave in the DIII Region 9 Regional Semifinals on Wednesday, May 27. Game time is slated for 2:00 PM at Akron Firestone Stadium.
Miller Throws 1-Hit Shutout, Strikes Out Team-Record 16
Katelynn Miller set the tone from the start, striking out the entire Medina Buckeye lineup over the first three innings. She continued adding to her total in every inning, ringing up 16 total on the night to set a new team record.
Miller previously struck out 15 batters during Louisville’s 33-0 Sectional Final 5-inning victory over Bedford last season. Sarah Cantley, now her pitching coach, also struck out 15 hitters in a game twice: in an 8-0 win over Dover in 2017 and in a 9-inning 6-5 victory at Minerva in 2016.
The Bucks did not put a fair ball in play until the fourth inning. After a groundout and a pop out, Medina Buckeye threatened with two runners on via a walk and an error. Miller struck out the next batter on three pitches to vanquish the threat.
In the fifth inning, Miller issued a walk to Cassy Minarchick to open the frame, but countered with a four-pitch strikeout. Minarchick stole second after that, but Miller got the next batter to fly out to Olivia Gulling in left field and then struck out the next hitter on three straight pitches.
Miller needed just 9 pitches to get through the sixth inning, which ended on a pair of strikeouts. In the seventh, Miller fanned the first two batters she faced before surrendering the Bucks’ only hit of the game to Minarchick on a bloop single to left field. The base hit broke up Miller’s bid for a no-hitter on the seven-year anniversary of Cantley’s regional semifinal perfect game against Chardon during Louisville’s 2019 state title run.
Appropriately, Miller got the next batter to hit a short pop up right back to her. She squeezed her glove, lifted the ball in the air, and then was quickly embraced by a host of teammates who celebrated their second straight district championship.
Leopards Pounce on Bucks Early
Louisville wasted no time in taking control of the game. Leadoff batter Leah Claugus ripped a double down the left field line on the second pitch of the game and then scored when Anna Sirohman followed with a double off the bottom of the fence in left to make it 1-0.
Claugus got things going again in the third inning when she beat out a throw from third for an infield single. Sirohman advanced her to second and then Addy Campbell later hit a 2-out bloop single to left-center that easily plated Claugus to increase the Lady Leopard lead to 2-0.
Claugus and Campbell Record Multi-Hit Games
Claugus finished 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and accounted for three of Louisville’s seven runs. Campbell also had a multi-hit game finishing 2-for-4 at the plate.
Half of the Lady Leopards’ 10 hits were extra-base hits. Bailee Griffith and Shae O’Neill each smashed doubles as well.
Twinem 7th Inning Grand Slam Removes All Doubt
While Miller continued to dominate in the circle, the Louisville offense added to its 2-0 cushion with a five-run seventh inning. Taylor Thompson walked to begin the frame and Maggie Baker sacrificed her to second.
Medina Buckeye had seen enough of Claugus and intentionally walked her to set up the force at third. A curious move considering Sirohman was due up next and had already doubled off the base of the fence and launched a two-run home run over the left foul pole before it was appealed and called back. Miller then bunted into a double play to end the fifth after Claugus aggressively tried to score from second on the play.
That same strategy came back around in the seventh, but this time Louisville cashed in. Sirohman walked to load the bases and Miller laid down another bunt. This time courtesy runner Aubree Bell scored from third to make it 3-0 and Miller reached first on the RBI bunt single.
Two batters later, Kaitlin Twinem stepped up to the dish with two outs. Twinem fouled off the first three pitches, but then got all of the fourth pitch. She blasted the ball just over the 10-foot fence in left field for a Grand Slam to increase the Louisville lead to 7-0. Twinem emphatically trotted around the bases, slapped hands with third base coach Sarah Cantley, and then was mobbed by her teammates at the plate.
The home run was Twinem’s team-leading fifth of the season as the Lady Leopards have now gone yard 21 times this season.
Back-to-Back District Titles for 1st Time in Team History
Miller did the rest in the seventh and Louisville Softball celebrated back-to-back district titles for the first time in program history. This also marked the program’s third district title overall, with the 2019 state championship season standing as the only other district crown before the current two-year run.
Each player and coach was presented with a district championship medal. Head Coach Emily Brislen was the last to receive a medal and was embraced by Athletic Director Terrie Horn. Brislen became the first head coach in Louisville Athletics history to win back-to-back district titles in her first two seasons at the helm.
The team captains were presented with the district championship plaque by Horn and then the whole team piled in together to celebrate in the center of the diamond.
The Lady Leopards have now won seven of their last eight postseason games, improving to 52-39 all-time in the tournament. Louisville has now won three of its last four tournament games played at neutral venues and is now 14-17 all-time in the postseason when playing at a neutral location.
<<< Vs. St. Vincent-St. Mary | Softball Tournament History
Fifth Louisville Program to Win Back-to-Back District Titles
Leopard Softball is the fifth Louisville program to achieve back-to-back district titles and the first girls program to do so since volleyball did in 2000 & 2001.
- Basketball (Girls): 1990, 1991, & 1992
- Cross Country (Boys): 2015 & 2016
- Softball: 2025 & 2026
- Wrestling (Individual): 2020, 2021, & 2022
- Wrestling (Team)*: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, & 2024
- Volleyball (Girls): 2000 & 2001
*District or equivalent, sometimes called “Regional” instead
The Lady Leopards Softball Team will look to join Louisville Girls Basketball and Wrestling as the only programs to reach a regional final in back-to-back seasons when they take on the Holy Name Green Wave in the Regional Semifinals Wednesday at Akron Firestone Stadium.
UP NEXT: The #18 seed Lady Leopards will next take on the #12 seed Holy Name Green Wave in the DIII Region 9 Regional Semifinals on Wednesday, May 27. Game time is set for 2:00 PM at Akron Firestone Stadium.
DIII Northeast Softball Tournament
District Championship
Thursday, May 21
Northeast 2 (at North Royalton)
#25 Richfield Revere 4, #9 Boardman 3, 9 Innings
Northeast 3 (at Jackson-Milton)
#3 Uniontown Lake 11, #10 Tallmadge 0
Northeast 4 (at Mentor)
#12 Parma Heights Holy Name 3, #2 Gates Mills Gilmour Academy 0
Northeast 6 (at Norwayne)
#1 Akron Archbishop Hoban 4, #14 Warren Howland 1
Friday, May 22
Northeast 1 (at Austintown Fitch)
#6 Chardon 9, #7 Aurora 6
Northeast 5 (at LaBrae High School)
#18 Louisville 7, #4 Medina Buckeye 0
Regional Semifinal Pairings
Wednesday, May 27
Region 9 (at Akron Firestone Stadium)
#12 Parma Heights Holy Name vs. #18 Louisville, 2:00
#1 Akron Archbishop Hoban vs. #25 Richfield Revere, 5:00
Region 10 (at Ashland’s Deb Miller Stadium)
#3 Uniontown Lake vs. #6 Aurora, 2:00
Ontario vs. Mansfield Madison Comprehensive, 5:00
Region 11 (at Newton Local)
Northwest 2 vs. Mount Orab Western Brown, 2:00
Greenville vs. Tipp City Tippecanoe, 5:00
Region 12 (at Berne Union)
Carroll Bloom-Carroll vs. Dover, 2:00
Plain City Jonathan Alder vs. Dresden Tri-Valley, 5:00
Regional Final Schedule
Friday, May 29
Region 9 (at Akron Firestone Stadium)
Regional Championship, 3:00
Region 10 (at Ashland’s Deb Miller Stadium)
Regional Championship, 5:00
Region 11 (at Newton Local)
Regional Championship, 5:00
Region 12 (at Berne Union)
Regional Championship, 5:00
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Louisville Vs. Medina Buckeye Softball Box Score
LEOPARDS 7, BUCKS 0
Team 123-456-7—R-H-E
Louisville 101-000-5—7-10-1
Buckeye 000-000-0—0-1-0
LOUISVILLE LEOPARDS BATTING
| Player | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leah Claugus #14 (CF) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Anna Sirohman #27 (3B) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Katelynn Miller #16 (P) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| –Lilly Seaman (CR) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Addy Campbell #4 (C) | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| –Mia Verbeck (CR) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaitlin Twinem #8 (SS) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Shae O’Neill #99 (LF, RF) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Bailee Griffith #6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| –Olivia Gulling (CR) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taylor Thompson #22 (1B) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| –Aubree Bell #7 (1B) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mara Mayle #3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| –Maggie Baker #17 (2B) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TEAM | 26 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 7 |
LOUISVILLE LEOPARDS PITCHING
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katelynn Miller #16 (W) | 7.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| TEAM | 7.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
BUCKEYE BUCKS BATTING
| Player | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maddie Wilhelm #2 (LF) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sarah Michaels #13 (SS) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Faith Shaw #7 (CF) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Eleanor Shaw #9 (C) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| — Jae Mooney (CR) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ava Piovarchy #24 (3B) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Cassy Minarchick #23 (2B) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Juliana Melillo #5 (RF) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Kelsey Morano #20 (1B) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| McKenzie Cenname #22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Olivia Piovarchy #14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TEAM | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
BUCKEYE BUCKS PITCHING
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lilly Young #8 | 7.0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 7 |
| TEAM | 7.0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 7 |
