Talawanda softball powers past Monroe

This story was produced by Miami University journalism student Alexis Varner in partnership with the Oxford Free Press.

In the first matchup of the season between Talawanda and Monroe High School’s softball teams, the Brave delivered a commanding 17-4 victory at home on April 15, ending the game early with a mercy rule in the fifth inning.

Talawanda set the tone early and never looked back, combining explosive offense with steady pitching and solid defense. Freshman pitcher Bea Yerigan led the way in the circle, throwing all five innings and allowing four runs and recording seven strikeouts. 

The Brave were dominant at the plate. Sophomore Maddy Cox went 3-for-4, scoring three runs and with two doubles, while senior Audrey Hilbert went a perfect 4-for-4, adding a home run and six RBIs while scoring four times. Cox now owns the school single season record for doubles. 

“I think our energy helped a lot,” said Hilbert. “We’ve finally been realizing what we’re capable of as a team, and that helped us stay up the whole time.”

 Talawanda’s offense found its rhythm in the third inning, scoring 10 runs  to build a comfortable lead. By the end of the fourth inning, the Brave had 17 runs on 18 hits.

“A lot of that was just about execution,” said head coach Scott Davie. “We need to settle down and do that – and we did.”

Davie emphasized staying focused and consistent heading into the Southwestern Buckeye League (SWBL) matchup, noting that stronger execution and sharper defense would be key against a familiar opponent. 

“Even though it ended up being a little lopsided here today, we’ve got to execute better,” Davie said. “It’s really going to be getting back to work and worrying about us.”

With the win, the Brave improves to 11-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play. The Brave returned to action April 17, traveling to Monroe for the SWBL rematch.