AKRON — One bad inning can’t wipe out one great season for the Mount Vernon girls softball team.
The Yellow Jackets were forced to sit through a two-hour rail delay before falling 8-6 to Painesville Riverside on Sunday in the Division II state championship softball game at Akron’s Firestone Stadium.
A five-run Riverside rally in the bottom of the fifth turned a 5-3 Mount Vernon lead into an 8-5 deficit the Yellow Jackets could not overcome.
Mount Vernon’s 21-game winning streak came to an end as coach Ryan Pentz’s squad finished the campaign with a spectacular 27-3 record.
The Yellow Jackets jumped on top 1-0 in their first at-bat. Brooklyn Dovenbarg’s RBI single drove in Rylee Myers.
But the Beavers tied it at 1-1 in the bottom of the first when Samantha Granchi scored on Madison Proud’s sacrifice fly.
Riverside took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second. Emma Wilhelm laced a triple to right center and came home via a single by Samantha Granchi.
Mount Vernon jumped back in front with a 4-2 lead in the top of the third.
Jocelyn Scarbury smacked a two-run double down the right field line, driving in Hailey Rudrick and Carly Kennedy. Grace Bates then hammered an RBI double to deep right center, driving in Scarbury.
MV increased the advantage to 5-2 in the fourth thanks to Carly Kennedy’s run-scoring single to right field, driving in Isla Graham.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Beavers’ Madelyn Kevern ripped the first pitch of the frame for a homer to left, slicing the gap to 5-3.
The bottom of the fifth was the dagger to Mount Vernon’s title hopes as Riverside erupted for five runs.
Kevern doubled to right center, driving in Wilhelm. Olivia Powell also doubled to right center, driving in Kevern. With bases loaded, Proud smashed a three-run double to left center, scoring Becca Tornow, Granchi and Powell.
Mount Vernon got within 8-6 on Rudrick’s RBI double in the bottom of the sixth, but could get no closer.
The Yellow Jackets had six runs on 11 hits with one error. Ace pitcher Jocelyn Scarbury took the loss, but authored a superb season.
The Beavers racked up eight runs on 12 hits with three errors. Annaliese Davis got the pitching victory.
Riverside ended the season with a 27-5 record. This marked the Beavers’ first state championship.