"After last night, it was like, 'OK, how do we get these kids focused and get that energy level back? Energy is what drives this team,' " said Monroe coach Tim Kellis, who felt his squad played at low tide emotionally after Friday's Division II sectional win over Tippecanoe.
“We didn’t have as much energy today, and we made some mistakes that we don’t normally make. To our girls’ credit, they did what they had to do to win. We thought on paper we were the team to beat in the league coming into the season, but you don’t win on paper. Now that this hurdle is over, it’s a load off our shoulders for sure.”
It’s the second Southwestern crown in three years for the Hornets, who are 22-2 overall and 11-0 in the SWBL. They’ll try to win it outright Monday when they close league play on the road against Franklin (16-5, 10-1), which can get a piece of the title with a win.
“It feels awesome. It feels great. I’m glad,” Monroe senior shortstop Alexis Arnold said. “But we’re not trying to share the league title. We’re here to win it all. We’re going to fight with all that we have.”
Arnold wielded one of the Hornets’ most potent bats Saturday at Good Samaritan Field, going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, a home run and three RBIs. Faith Hensley also had three hits and a solo homer, while Ashley McNabb was 2-for-4 with a homer and an RBI.
Monroe bombed the Blue Devils 15-0 in March, but Brookville (9-9, 6-6) has come a long way under first-year coach Brittany Hunley.
“I watched some of their scores,” Kellis said. “When they beat Eaton 2-1, we started taking notice. Brittany learned under Doug (Orange), and Doug’s such a great coach. I knew she would get this thing right.
“Just about every time we play them, it’s close. They had not even played a scrimmage when we played them earlier in the year, so that was their first time on the dirt against anybody. I knew it would be a different game up here.”
The Blue Devils showed some resolve Saturday. They trailed 8-5 with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the seventh when Jessica Brown, Madison Hamiel and Hope Hensley all singled to load the bases, and Selina Miser walked to force in a run.
Hornets freshman hurler Alyssa Wagner then got Haley Brown to pop out to first baseman Sam Key.
“You can hear from my dugout, they don’t ever really stop,” Hunley said. “They’re always confident, always up and positive, and that’s what I like to see. We’ve made a lot of nice adjustments since the beginning of the season, working together and finding where we are most solid.”
Freshman Hope Hensley was the losing pitcher and gave up 12 hits. Erin Gardner, Brown, Hamiel and Hensley all had two hits for Brookville, which faces Badin in a Division III sectional final at Xenia on Monday. Brown drove in two runs and Hamiel added an RBI.
“We could’ve laid down at 8-5 and we didn’t, so I’m very pleased with them today,” Hunley said. “Of course I want to win, but this is a nice prep for Monday against Badin. We’ve been doing a lot of work and a lot of research, and I think we’re ready to go.”
Sarah Eschmeyer plated two runs for the Hornets, who lined into two of their three double plays. Faith Hensley also hit a screamer right at Brown, the Blue Devils’ right fielder, with the bases loaded and no outs in the second. The ball found leather, and nobody scored on the play.
Mikayla Decker contributed two doubles and Jill Taylor chipped in an RBI for Monroe. Wagner allowed nine hits, striking out nine and walking six.
The Hornets will travel to Springboro on Tuesday to meet Clinton-Massie for a sectional championship.
“Every game from here on out is huge,” Kellis said. “Fortunately for us, we’ve got six seniors, so hopefully that plays in our favor.”
Monroe 221-101-1—8-12-3
Brookville 012-020-1—6-9-2
WP — Alyssa Wagner (14-1); LP — Hope Hensley (2-1); HR — M: Faith Hensley, Alexis Arnold, Ashley McNabb. Records: M 22-2, 11-0 SWBL Southwestern; B 9-9, 6-6 SWBL Southwestern
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