Gibsonburg tops Monroeville in title game

OAK HARBOR — It was a tough way for Monroeville to end its softball season. The Eagles committed five costly errors and never solved Gibsonburg pitcher Alivia Wauford in an 11-1 five-inning loss in a Division VII district final on a chilly Friday. "They're a good hitting team. We made too many errors," Monroeville coach Pat Scheid said. "That's about all there is to say. "Their pitcher did enough to keep us off balance. We got under a lot of balls. We didn't get the line drives like we're used to getting." The third-seeded Eagles finished their season with a 17-8 record. Second-seeded Gibsonburg improved to 17-3. The Sandusky Bay Conference River Division champion advances to regional play next Wednesday in Findlay. Gibsonburg scored in four of five innings and Wauford, a sophomore, went the distance in the circle. "I did not expect a run-rule," Golden Bears coach Sarah Gruner said. "We did our research on them and got a game plan in. Our girls came out swinging, they came out aggressive as we always do. Man, they were hitting the ball hard today. They deserve every bit of this. We're excited to keep it going." Wauford struck out only three, but threw a three-hitter while working the plate and flashing an effective changeup. "She was throwing a lot of inside," Monroeville leadoff hitter Madi Reiber said. "For me at least, I'm really not a fan of that. She had a rally good offspeed pitch, too, that was getting us." Wauford said she studied the Eagles this week. Her homework paid off. "We've been working a lot on inside, outside," Wauford said. "We've been studying the batters to know where to throw, what to throw, when to throw it. We mixed in a lot of changeups, which worked pretty good." Mackenzie Muntz's two-run single gave Gibsonburg a 2-0 lead in the first. Reiber's alert play that started a rundown prevented a run. The Bears took control with three runs in the second. The inning included a RBI triple from Elly Evarts, a basketball star who looked right at home on the softball diamond. Evarts also walked and hit a line shot to center for a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the fifth. She also made several nice plays at second base. "She is a pure athlete. We can put her anywhere," Gruner said. "If we need a bunt down, she'll throw herself at the ball if she needs to. She is a true team player." Wauford and Mia Brink each had two hits for Gibsonburg, which scored four unearned runs in the first two innings to put the Eagles on their heels. "You can't beat teams, especially good ones with four errors. That kind of spiraled on us," Scheid said. "And we're young. We start two freshmen, two first-year sophomores and a catcher who's never caught before. "We battled a lot of adversity to get here. I'm very proud of these girls to get to this point after losing two starters beginning of the season to knee injuries and lost another freshman to an ankle injury." Monroeville scored its lone run in the fourth. Taylor Scheid led off with an infield single and Alayna Tyler followed with a single. But with runners on first and third with nobody out, Gibsonburg catcher Emma Jividen threw down to second to stop a steal attempt and get an out. Scheid scored on the play, but the seldom-used strategy of trading a run for an out halted the Eagles' momentum. Payton Weilnau followed with a double, but she was doubled up when Evarts snagged a line drive off the bat of Brooke Morman and stepped on second for a double play. "That hit Peyton had would've scored two, so our girls played that out to perfection," Gruner said. Gibsonburg ended the game with three runs in the fifth. Wauford led off with a home run that hit the top of the fence in right field. "The coaches told their outfield to move in, so that changed my mindset," Wauford said. "The swing was good, it was a good pitch." After Weilnau walked two batters, Evarts' sacrifice fly made it 10-1 and Jividen ended it with a sharp single to left. The game was the last one for Monroeville standout Reiber, the only Eagles senior in uniform. She was a four-year starter and played on teams that advanced to the state finals in 2024 and 2025. "She is a warrior; she'll do anything you ask her to do," Scheid said. "So athletic, just a great kid. I haven't coached many kids with a better attitude than her." Reiber posed for photos afterward and reflected on an outstanding career. "This team has meant so much to me throughout the years," she said. "Each one is like a family. I wouldn't trade it for the world and I'm gonna miss it a lot. "I'm excited to see what they can do next year. I felt a little bit of pressure being the only senior out on the field, but I tried to take it as a good thing and help the younger ones who weren't as experienced." Monroeville 000 10 — 1 3 5 Gibsonburg 230 33 — 11 7 1 WP: Wauford. LP: Weilnau. 2B: (M) Weilnau. 3B: (G) Evarts. HR: (G) Wauford