High school softball: Brunswick beats Medina to run win streak to 10

MEDINA — In a battle of Medina County's hottest softball teams, Brunswick made all the plays it needed to make to come away with a 9-5 victory over Medina in a pivotal Greater Cleveland Conference game. The Blue Devils (18-5, 7-2) won their 10th in a row to pull even with the Bees (16-4, 7-2) for second place in the GCC and keep a flicker of hope alive for a share of the conference championship. Medina saw its 10-game winning streak come to an end. Brunswick and the Bees need just about everything to go their way over the next eight days to catch reigning champion Mentor (15-6, 9-0). The Bees and Blue Devils each play the Cardinals once next week and also have a game against each other Tuesday at Brunswick. "I'm very happy because this was definitely a need-to-win game," Ellie Williams said. "After we lost to Mentor and Strongsville, we needed a conference game win. We hit very well in this game, so I'm happy." In addition to the league importance, both teams begin tournament play next week as well. Williams went 4-for-4 with two RBIs. Ava Beas, a courtesy runner for catcher Williams after each hit, scored the team's first run in the second inning. While Brunswick was able to knock around 12 hits, six Medina errors that led to four unearned runs made the biggest difference in the game. The first miscue allowed Beas and Kourtney Abshire to score on an Abbey Nemec base hit, one batter after the last out should have been recorded, to put the Blue Devils up 2-0. "This game meant so much to us and we wanted to play for our seniors," Medina center fielder Katie Rubino said. "I think we were very nervous and timid coming in. We just didn't play together. We all felt very separate, our communication wasn't there and it led to what happened." Brunswick kept the pressure on in the third inning, as Maddy Hicks plated Elena Osowski (2 singles, run) with a double to the right-center gap and then scored on a two-run single by Williams that also brought in Sofia Veres (2 runs) for a 5-0 lead. "Hitting is really contagious," Hicks said. "When one person hits, the dugout gets really loud and it goes on for everybody." Rubino gave the Bees life in the home half of the third with a one-out RBI double that brought in Hannah Neal (single, walk, run, RBI), but got stranded at third base. Medina continued to battle back and put the tying run on first base in the fifth when senior Carley Ostendorf cleared the bases with a double that plated Rubino, Sadie Hill and Sammi Rambo (single, walk, 2 runs). After Cece Sammon drew a walk from Aaliyah Radwan (4 2/3 innings, 9 runs, 5 earned, 6 hits, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts), the Blue Devils turned to Gabby Diligente, who struck out Neal to end the inning. Diligente earned the save, facing the minimum number of batters over 2 1/3 innings. "We obviously have confidence in ourselves and know we can do it," Ostendorf said. "Sometimes it just doesn't fall our way. I didn't have a doubt that we could come back. We didn't but we fought really close until the end." Brunswick gave itself more than enough cushion in the seventh, with Williams leading off with a hit. She later scored on a double by Abshire, who then scored on Medina's sixth error. Contact John Urchek at jurchek@medina-gazette.com. Brunswick 9, Medina 5 BRUNSWICK 023 020 2 — 9 12 2 MEDINA 001 130 0 — 5 6 6 WP — Aaliyah Radwan (9-1) 4 2/3 innings, 5 runs, 4 earned, 6 hits, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts. LP — Addie Connelly (10-4) 6 1/3 innings, 9 runs, 5 earned, 12 hits, walk, 0 strikeouts. S — Gabby Diligente 2 1/3 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, walk, strikeout. Brunswick (18-5, 7-2) — Elena Osowski 3 singles, run; Sofia Veres walk, 2 runs; Maddy Hicks single, double, 2 runs, RBI; Ellie Williams 4 singles, 2 RBIs; Ava Beas 2 runs; Kourtney Abshire double, 2 runs, RBI; Abbey Nemec 2 singles, 2 RBIs. Medina (16-4, 7-2) — Katie Rubino double, 2 walks, run, RBI; Sammi Rambo single, walk, 2 runs; Carley Ostendorf double, 3 RBIs; Hannah Neal single, walks, run, RBI.