Claugus Homers Twice as Louisville Wins Sectional Vs. Nordonia 11-1 – Softball
#3 Louisville 11, #23 Nordonia 1, 5 Innings
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The #3 seed Louisville Leopards Softball Team run-ruled the visiting #23 seed Nordonia Knights 11-1 in five innings during their DI Mentor Sectional Final Wednesday Evening at West Main Vet Clinic Field. With the victory, Louisville improves to 20-4 on the season and will advance to take on #7 seed Painesville Riverside in the DI Mentor District Semifinals on Monday, May 13 at 5:00 PM.
Claugus Goes Yard Twice to Lady Leopards
Leah Claugus went 2-for-3 and hit a three-run homer in each of her first two at-bats to lead the Lady Leopards.
Claugus’ first three-run shot came with 2 outs in the home half of the first. The blast was a no doubter when it left the bat as it cleared the pine trees in center and bounced hard off the parking lot beyond. Matti Benson and courtesy runner Olivia Mongiardo scored on the dinger, which would prove to be the difference in the final tally.
Claugus later crushed another three-run bomb to highlight Louisville’s seven-run third inning. The three-run shot easily cleared the fence in right center field to put the Lady Leopards ahead 8-1. Bailee Griffith and Mongiardo scored on the round-tripper. Claugus is now second on the team in home runs this season with 4.
Claugus becomes the tenth different Louisville player to hit two home runs in a single game and just the third to do so in a tournament game. Both Kaycee Ollis and Shae Thomas recorded a multi-homer tournament game five years to the day in a 25-0 Sectional Final win over Akron Ellet in 2019. No Lady Leopard has haver hit three home runs in a single contest.
Becker and Sirohman Exchange Lead-Off Homers
Brooke Becker led off the top of the second with a solo homer to left field for what would prove to be the Knights only run of the game.
Anna Sirohman countered Becker’s solo shot with one of her own to also lead off the bottom of the second. Her blast wrapped around the foul pole in left field to put the Lady Leopards in front 4-1.
The dinger was the second of the year for Sirohman. She also homered against the Jackson Polar Bears back on April 1.
Leopards Blow Game Open with 7-Run Third
Louisville batted around the lineup and took firm command of the contest with a seven-run third inning. Addy Campbell singled to left field plating Benson from second base. Then Claugus cleared the bases with her second three-run shot to up the Leopard lead to 8-1.
Katelyn Miller singled on the next pitch and then advanced to third when Kenzi Denzer doubled to right field. Then Brooke Haren laced a ground ball through the middle into center for a two-run single that brought in both runners to make it 10-1.
Kaitlin Twinem followed with a single to left putting Haren into scoring position. Haren came home in the next at–bat when Benson reached on a hard hit ground ball to second that made the score 11-1.
Schneider Throws 2-Hitter in Win
Starting pitcher Taylor Schneider went the distance for Louisville in earning her first varsity tournament win. She threw all 5 innings, allowed just 1 run on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 8. Schneider faced the minimum in the first, fourth, and fifth innings en route to her team best eighth victory of the season.
Outside of the solo homer surrendered to Becker, the only time Nordonia really threatened was the top half of the third inning. Both of the walks issued by Schneider came in that inning followed by Larken Koran reaching base on an infield error. Schneider fanned Becker on four pitches for the second out. Then she got Gracie Smith to pop out to Denzer at first base to escape unscathed.
Nordonia didn’t register another base runner until Alyssa Lyons’ infield single to lead off the seventh. A 4-6-3 Twinem to Benson to Denzer double play emptied the bases two pitches later. Then Haydn Paul popped out to Campbell behind the plate to end the game.
This was the first ever meeting between Louisville and Nordonia on the softball diamond. The Knights are the 79th unique opponent the Lady Leopards have faced all-time and 29th unique opponent they have ever taken on in the postseason.
Lady Leopards Wins 13th DI Sectional Title
This is the 19th sectional title that the Lady Leopards have won in their 40 year history as a program. This is the 13th time and likely the last Division I sectional title they will ever win with the new seven division format being rolled out by the OHSAA starting next season.
Louisville Wins 20th Straight Home Tournament Game
Louisville has now won 20 consecutive tournament games at the Diamond of Dreams/West Main Vet Clinic Field dating back to 2001. The Lady Leopards last home tournament loss came last millennium, a 4-0 defeat to GlenOak in 1998.
Louisville is now 45-37 all-time in the postseason, which includes a 23-4 record at home and a 32-26 record when competing in the Division I tournament.
The Lady Leopards will look to punch a ticket to their seventh district title game when they take on the #8 seed Painesville Riverside Beavers in the DI Mentor District Semifinals on Monday.
<<< 2023 At Hoban | Softball Tournament History | 2024 Vs. Riverside >>>
UP NEXT: The #3 seed Louisville Leopards will take on the #8 seed Painesville Riverside Beavers in the DI Mentor District Semifinals on Monday, May 13. Game time is set for 5:00 PM from Mentor High School.
DI Northeast Sectional Final Scores
DI Massillon Sectional Finals
at #2 Walsh Jesuit 13, #26 Alliance 0, 5 Innings
#14 Akron Archbishop Hoban 13, #20 Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin 2, 5 Innings
at #11 Massillon Jackson 6, #12 Willoughby South 3
#16 Lake 16, at #10 Boardman 14
DI Mentor Sectional Finals
#4 North Canton Hoover 18, #28 Hudson 0, 5 Innings
#5 Eastlake North 7, #7 Mentor 4
#3 Louisville 11, #23 Nordonia 1, 5 Innings
#8 Painesville Riverside 4, #9 Massillon Perry 0
DI Youngstown Sectional Finals
at #1 Austintown Fitch 18, #30 Mayfield 0, 5 Innings
at #18 Green 10, #22 Madison 0, 6 Innings
at #6 Chardon 23, #17 Cuyahoga Falls 1, 5 Innings
at #13 GlenOak 11, #15 Akron Ellet 1, 6 Innings
DI Northeast District Semifinal Schedule
DI Massillon District Semifinals (at Massillon Eagles #190 Sports Complex)
#2 Walsh Jesuit Vs. #14 Hoban/#20 NDCL, 2:00
#11 Jackson Vs. #16 Lake, 5:00
DI Mentor District Semifinals (at Mentor High School)
#4 North Canton Hoover Vs. #5 Eastlake North, 2:00
#3 Louisville Vs. #8 Painesville Riverside, 5:00
DI Youngstown District Semifinals (at YSU Softball Complex)
#1 Austintown Fitch Vs. #18 Green, 4:00
#6 Chardon Vs. #13 GlenOak, 6:30
YSN 5th Inning Broadcast
Nordonia at Louisville Softball Box Score
LEOPARDS 11, KNIGHTS 1, 5 INNINGS
Records: Louisville 20-4, Nordonia 6-10*
*According to MaxPreps
