Division II State Semifinal
Bryan 2, Logan Elm 1
AKRON — Logan Elm had an answer for Bryan’s first run but couldn’t answer the second as the Braves saw their season come to an end on the short end of a 2-1 final in a Division II state semifinal at Akron’s Firestone Stadium.
Even with a new coaching staff at the helm, senior Lynsay VanHoose said the team knew there was the potential for this kind of season.
“They knew as well as we did that we had a very good shot at going far if we put in the work. I think that was their motto to us the whole year that if you want it, you can have it,” she said. “We have a big group of seniors, but then just the team as a whole – there was one game in the middle of the season that I personally felt we just all from then on were locked in and we stayed very connected.
“Getting here has definitely meant the world, especially with our senior year — a last hurrah you could say — but it’s been amazing.”
After a rough finish to the regular season where LE lost five straight before finishing off with a win, coach Jamey Binkley said he saw a different level of determination from his team.
“Once we started practice for the tournament … our level of focus changed. The intensity and pace of our practices changed,” he said. “I remember when we took our infield in the district semis against Waverly, we just looked a little different. There was a different level of focus. It wasn’t anything the coaching staff did – we were just trying to put them in a position to be successful — they decided it was go time and played lights out ever since.”
Both teams gave themselves opportunities early on with baserunners in each of the first three innings, but the game remained scoreless.
Each went down 1-2-3 in the fourth and the Braves were retired in three straight in the top of the fifth.
It looked to be more of the same as the first two Bears grounded out to VanHoose at shortstop to start the bottom of the fifth but then Amiyah Langham drew a walk and Ella Voigt smacked a triple to center to finally break the scoring drought and put Bryan up 1-0.
The Braves answered in the top of the sixth as VanHoose led off the inning reaching on a throwing error and advanced to second. Sophomore Sadie Binkley then singled to left to give the Braves a pair of baserunners.
After Bryan called timeout to try and regroup, sophomore Ryleigh Wolfe laid down a sacrifice bunt to third to move up the runners and senior Jaycie Clifton followed suit with a sacrifice bunt of her own to bring VanHoose across the plate with the tying run.
“We are the definition of a team, and we play selfless team softball. The run we scored today, it was our three and four-hole hitters that put down bunts,” coach Binkley said. “I know they want to swing – they can hit, they’re good hitters, they’ve hit for us all year – but in that position their team needed them to try to tie that ballgame up and give us a chance. And they did it. And we’ve had kids up and down our lineup do that all year.
“I think coach called a timeout and I’m there with Ryleigh and Jaycie and I said, ‘Hey, if you can put your bunts down, we’re going to tie this game.’ And they looked at me and said ‘yes, sir.’ That’s all you can ask for – selfless.”
The Golden Bears came back in the bottom of the sixth to produce the winning run.
Kailee Theil led off with a walk and, after a strikeout, stole second and then moved up to third on a wild pitch. Josie Arnold and Mylie Vollmer each followed with bunt singles to load the bases. Sticking with the strategy, Tabitha Taylor put down another bunt. Unfortunately for the Braves, Binkley was unable to field it cleanly and Theil came in with the go-ahead run.
The damage was contained as the next two batters popped up to VanHoose at short.
Coming back in the seventh, LE was unable to rally as the Braves had a popup to the third baseman, a groundout to short and then a groundout to the pitcher to wrap up the contest.
“You come to a state semifinal and you’re in the seventh inning with a chance to win, that’s all you can really ask for,” coach Binkley said. “I thought we represented ourselves well, I thought we represented our community, our families.”
The Braves were held to two hits in the contest – both by Binkley. One was a double in the third inning with the other being her single in the sixth.
The Golden Bears collected six hits in the contest with Arnold getting two.
Binkley pitched for the Braves and gave up the two runs (one earned) with three walks and she struck out two.
Sophomore Thea Staten got the win for the Golden Bears. She gave up the one unearned run with two walks and she struck out 11.
The Braves finish off their season with a 21-9 record and are only the second softball team in school history to make it to the state semifinals, having last done it in 2012.
Bryan (22-5) returns to Akron Saturday afternoon to face Canfield (26-3) for the state title. Canfield was a 3-0 winner over Kenton Ridge (28-5) in the first semifinal and Canfield pitcher Malena Toth had a perfect game going Friday until a leadoff single in the seventh.
