BEACHWOOD — The Cuyahoga Heights softball team shook off an early deficit and delivered a dominant response Thursday, erupting for 15 unanswered runs to defeat Beachwood softball, 17-4, in a Chagrin Valley Conference Metro Division matchup.
Trailing 4-2 entering the fourth inning, the Red Wolves flipped the game with a relentless offensive surge — scoring three runs in the fourth, seven in the fifth, and five more in the seventh to improve to 4-0 on the season.
“At the beginning of the game, it was completely frustrating, and you saw the looks on their faces; they had defeated looks,” said Cuyahoga Heights head coach Kyle Manfredonia. “I had to put a little fire under them, and thankfully, we responded well. We haven’t played in a while, so we had to come together as a team. They got the hits when we needed them, and that’s how we were able to put up those 15 unanswered runs.”
Cuyahoga Heights struck first in the third inning when Sophia Meklemburg delivered an RBI single, followed by an RBI groundout from Brianna Kevern to give the Red Wolves a 2-0 lead.
Beachwood answered in the bottom half. Allie Rindsberg and Dalilah Harrison set the table before Lily Grover knocked in a run. Amaya Brown followed with a two-out, two-run triple to give the Bison a 3-2 lead, and Alison Stephens added an RBI single to make it 4-2.
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“I don’t think our girls were picking the ball up well early,” said Beachwood head coach Mike Coreno. “But the second time through the order, we started to settle in and put better swings on the ball.”
From there, it was all Red Wolves.
In the fourth, Giada Presot lifted a sacrifice fly before Aly Williams tied the game with an RBI groundout. Kevern followed with an RBI single to give Cuyahoga Heights the lead for good.
The fifth inning broke things open. Camryn Barnes and Paige Stoltz reached base to spark the rally, setting up Nevaeh Reyes for a bunt RBI single. Presot ripped a two-run double, and Williams followed with an RBI double as the lead ballooned.
Later in the inning, Meklemburg added another RBI, while sisters Addi Stoltz and Paige Stoltz delivered back-to-back RBI singles to cap a seven-run frame.
Cuyahoga Heights finished the scoring in the seventh with RBI hits from Barnes and Reyes, another two-run double from Presot, and a final RBI double from Williams.
Kevern settled in after the early trouble, tossing five innings with seven strikeouts, while Williams closed it out with two shutout frames.
Despite the lopsided final, Manfredonia knows there’s still room for growth.
“It’s all about building confidence right now,” Manfredonia said. “We had six errors today, which is not like us, but it’s good to see those mistakes and be able to build from them. We just have to keep taking it one step forward.”
What’s Next
Cuyahoga Heights travels to face Valley Forge, while Beachwood returns home to take on Brooklyn.
Top Players
- Aly Williams (Cuyahoga Heights): 4-for-6, 2 runs, 3 RBI
- Giada Presot (Cuyahoga Heights): 2-for-5, 2 runs, 5 RBI
- Nevaeh Reyes (Cuyahoga Heights): 3-for-4, 3 runs, 2 RBI
- Brianna Kevern (Cuyahoga Heights): 1 hit, RBI; winning pitcher (5 IP, 7 K)
- Addi Stoltz & Paige Stoltz (Cuyahoga Heights): Combined 4-for-9, 4 runs, 2 RBI
- Allie Rindsberg (Beachwood): 2-for-4
- Lily Grover (Beachwood): 2-for-4, RBI
- Mattie Spaller (Beachwood): 2-for-4
