Six standouts earn district first team

The Ohio High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association released Northwest District honors on June 8. A total of six area players earned first team in their respective divisions, including a pair of Monroeville and Edison teammates, and standouts from St. Paul and New London. In Division VII, Monroeville senior Madi Reiber and junior teammate Payton Weilnau were first team along with St. Paul junior Ella Kalizewski. A third baseman, Reiber led the Eagles in hits, runs, doubles, triples, and home runs. She batted .460 with 10 doubles, six triples, and four home runs. Reiber added 25 RBIs and scored 40 times for Monroeville, which finished 17-8 overall and played in a third straight district title game this season. She also walked 10 times and reached base 51 times in 98 plate appearances. As a hitter, Weilnau batted .484 with seven doubles, two triples, three home runs, and 12 RBIs. She scored 32 runs and played shortstop when she wasn't in the circle. As a pitcher, Weilnau finished 13-6 with a 2.06 earned run average. She struck out an impressive 220 batters with 35 walks in 105 2/3 innings of work. Kalizewski was the Firelands Conference Player of the Year for the Flyers (15-10). She batted .623 with 14 doubles, two triples, and nine home runs and drove in 54 runs. Her season was punctuated when she finished 5 for 5 with three home runs, including two grand slams, and an Ohio record 14 RBIs in a single game on April 24 at Plymouth. The 14 RBIs in a game is also a top 15 performance in U.S. high school softball history, according to the NFHS and MaxPreps record books. Three more players from St. Paul and Monroeville earned honorable mention district. For the Eagles, junior Taylor Scheid was selected after she batted .351 with three doubles, four triples, two home runs, and 26 RBIs. For St. Paul, sophomore shortstop Ryleigh Mansfield-Bush was also on the honorable mention list. The leadoff hitter for the Flyers hit .412 with two doubles, two triples, one home run, and 17 RBIs. She also scored a team-high 35 runs. Senior pitcher Bella Guerra was also an honorable mention for the Flyers. She finished 8-8 with a 4.99 ERA and struck out 67 with 28 walks in 88 1/3 innings. In Div. VI, New London senior first baseman Gracie Thomas was selected to the first team. She hit .486 with three doubles, seven home runs, and 22 RBIs for the Wildcats (9-16). Earning honorable mention in Div. VI was her teammate, senior Olivia Yetter. The shortstop batted .500 with seven doubles, two triples, one home run, and 13 RBIs. Western Reserve junior catcher Makayla Case was also honorable mention. She hit .394 with three doubles, four triples, two home runs, and 13 RBIs for the Roughriders (7-14). In Div. V, Edison junior pitcher Abby Cloud and junior centerfielder Natalie Desautels were also selected to the first team. Desautels batted .478 with one double, 11 RBIs, and she scored 32 runs out of the leadoff spot for Edison. Senior second baseman Stella Brown earned second team for Edison. She hit .313 with six doubles, four triples, 20 RBIs, and scored 28 runs. Senior first baseman Payton Taylor was honorable mention for the Chargers after she batted .405 with four doubles, two triples, three home runs, and 27 RBIs. Cloud finished 13-6 with a 4.59 ERA in the circle for the Chargers, who finished 16-7 overall and shared the SBC Bay Division title with Margaretta. She struck out 108 batters with 53 walks in 134 innings of work. Willard senior shortstop Natalie Slone earned a spot on the second team. She hit .484 with seven doubles, two triples, two home runs, and 22 RBIs and scored 43 times in 22 games for the Crimson Flashes. Head coach Jason Ratliff earned Div. V Coach of the Year honors. Willard finished 12-11 this season after winning five games the previous three years combined. It was Ratliff's first season back coaching his alma mater after he previously held the position from 1998-2006. In Div. III, Norwalk sophomore shortstop Maddie Gamble was honorable mention. She batted .512 with five doubles, five triples, two home runs, and 18 RBIs this season in 21 games for the Truckers (12-10).