Late Brunswick double sends Buckeye JV Bucks to 9-8 softball loss

MEDINA, Ohio - Buckeye Junior Varsity stayed with Brunswick JV all afternoon before a run in the top of the eighth inning decided a 9-8 loss Monday. With the score tied at 8, Wimberley delivered a go-ahead double in extra innings, and the Blue Devils held on from there.

Brunswick set the tone early with three runs in the first inning. Wimberley singled down the left-field line, Thorkelson added a single to center, and a Buckeye error also produced a run. The Blue Devils pushed the lead to 5-0 in the second on RBI singles by Williamson and Wimberley, forcing the Bucks to chase much of the game.

Buckeye answered with an offense that produced 13 hits and eventually erased the deficit. Kelsey Willis led the effort with three hits in five at-bats, including a double in the third inning, a single in the fifth and a game-tying home run to center in the sixth. Willis and Ryenne Ford, batting back-to-back in the lineup, each collected three hits. Abby Haun and Willis drove in two runs apiece, while Morgan Haas and Mackenzie Anderson also had multiple-hit games.

The comeback reached its peak in the bottom of the sixth, when Willis' home run to center field pulled Buckeye even at 8-8. That swing gave the Bucks a chance to complete the rally after spending the first half of the game working back from Brunswick's early five-run cushion.

Anderson went the distance in the circle for Buckeye and took the loss despite keeping the team within striking distance long enough for the offense to respond. She allowed nine runs, eight earned, on 15 hits over eight innings with one strikeout and two walks. Cain earned the win for Brunswick after working all eight innings, allowing 13 hits and eight runs, seven earned, while striking out 12 and walking four.

Brunswick finished with 15 hits, led by Williamson's 4-for-5 day and a 3-for-5 performance from Wimberley, who drove in three runs. Moore and Thorkelson also had multiple hits, and Moore stole two bases as the Blue Devils totaled four steals. Buckeye next faces Normandy Junior Varsity on Thursday.