AKRON – The Tri-Village Softball Team capped off a perfect 30-0 season, running the table in 2025 by beating Sugarcreek Garaway 6-0 in the OHSAA D6 State Championship game in the 100th Anniversary Celebration of Firestone Stadium.
The Patriots had 7 hits & scored 6 runs on offense while Liz Poling allowed just three hits, one walk and three strikeouts with solid support from the defense in the win. It was Poling’s 24th victory of the season.
Camryn Osborne led off the 2nd inning taking one for the team on a hit by pitch. Kash Mead hit the ball toward second with Osborne heading that direction and she slid around the tag safely to give TV runners at first and second base.
With one out the Patriots went small ball with Tai Mize bunting and the ball just cleared the pitcher toward an empty second base. The fielder at second left to cover first on the bunt and Mize picked up a single while Osborne scored on the play.
Garaway’s pitcher then plunked Mylee Bierly, and TV had bases loaded. A walk to Emma Greer allowed Mize to score giving the PATS a 2-0 lead at end of 2nd inning.
In the bottom of the fifth inning Greer gathered past second base … but the next two hitters were retired. Osborne, who set a new school record with 13 homeruns drew a walk giving Tri-Village two on with two outs.
Aereonna Baker returned to the plate looking for redemption on her previous at bat, where she was thrown out from right field at first base. Baker delivered this time with a rocket past the right fielder to the fence for a stand-up double that scored both Greer and Osborne for a 4-0 lead.
Mize started the bottom of the 6th with a hard-hit to center for a double. Mylee Bierly who appeared to be a ball magnet took a second hit by pitch to the shin.
Greer then singled to score Mize with Bierly moving up to third base. Bierly then scored on a pass ball to complete the game scoring with TV up 6-0.
Sugarcreek Garaway had one last opportunity at the top of the 7th. Liz Poling got a fly-out on the first hitter to center. The next batter ripped a hard shot down third base line for a stand-up double giving the Pirates a glimmer of hope.
But hope turned to despair as the next hitter lined to Mize at second and she quickly relayed to Osborne covering the bag for a double play to end the game and the Patriots went into full celebration mode.
Girls were jumping around, lots of raw emotion, screams of joy, hugs and plenty of smiles all around as the girls completed their journey to win a state championship.
They are the fifth Tri-Village team to reach the state final four joining the 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1985 teams. The second team along with 1981 to make the state final and the first softball team in school history to win a State Championship.
They became the third sports team in the last decade at Tri-Village to go undefeated to win a state championship and is the newest member of the 30-0 club joining the 2015 Boys Basketball and 2023 Girls Basketball State Championship teams.
Becoming a championship team doesn’t just magically happen, in fact the groundwork started years ago with nine starry eyed young girls with a passion for the game all playing for current varsity assistant coach Shane Mead. Mead started coaching the Darke County Rebels in 2018 and at one time 11 of the current Patriot players were involved in one way or another.
Aereonna Baker started with them her first year … but her birthdate forced her to play up with a different team … but still she was playing Focus softball with Emma Cantrell who is the only senior on this year’s team.
Caley McCarroll and Emma Greer subbed several times over the years … but the core team included: McKenzie Besecker, Kaley Brandon, Camryn Osborne, Kash Mead, Addy Wright, Elizabeth Poling, Mylee Bierly and Hailey Burk.
These young ladies didn’t just wake up one morning and say, ‘hey I think I’ll start playing softball today’, they’ve all put in the time and worked hard to become state champions.
Coach Mead talked about how it all came together.
“When Kash was a second grader we had a few local kids playing on our team but there were a few other 3rd and 4th grade kids playing as well on another team. (They are all now currently sophomores and juniors on the Patriots varsity softball team except Mead a freshman) So, we put the two groups together and that was the beginning for this team,” Mead explained.
“The girls started winning some “C” type tournaments, then stepped up and won “B” tournaments which eventually led to high level “A” national tournaments. When we won a National Tournament playing against teams with kids from all over … they were stunned to know all the kids playing on our team were from the same small school,” Mead added.
Fueled by that success the girls continued to work on their own individual skills and had high expectations coming into high school.
Last year’s Lady Patriots softball team may have surprised many, but the team including Coach Emily Osborne and Coach Mead had already prepared these girls to be competitive and ready to win.
In 2024 the Patriots won the conference with an 11-0 league record winning the WOAC Conference. They then marched through the tournament racking up some impressive wins including Ft. Loramie in the regional semifinal to set-up a regional final game with Minster.
They lost to the Wildcats 5-3 in the regional final and up to that point losing never entered their mind. The loss provided the motivation needed for the team as they collected dirt from the field in vials only to be returned if they won the regional final in 2025.
The formula used when they played tournament softball by moving from “C” to “B” and then “A’ level competition was applied to the 2025 schedule.
“We beefed up our schedule, we needed it, and we wanted the challenge of playing better teams and these girls were ready for it, that’s why we scheduled Russia, Greenville, Covington and Northmont to start the season. In the Greenville game we had a lead, but they rallied late, and we had to focus to find a way to win, and the girls did that,” Osborne stated.
A reporter asked if they ever thought about losing a game.
“We don’t talk about losing … but in our first scrimmage this year we lost to a really good Tipp City team and that might have been the best thing to happen because it showed us, if we don’t play our strongest game or play as a team, we’re not going to win. So, it reminded us that we have to stay humble and to trust each other knowing any one of us can make a big play to help the team,” Aereonna Baker remarked.
Tri-Village coaches and players welcomed the challenged and found it to be fun.
“It was definitely very fun. And we obviously played some teams where it was just kind of an easy game, but we learned a lot with tight games where it was like one to nothing. Early in the season we only beat Greenville by one, and it was a team we were dying to beat. So, having a zero in the loss column was something we all earned, and we wanted it for each other. We didn’t want one or two losses, it was all of our mindsets the whole season,” Tai Mize declared.
In order to do that the Patriots would have to come together as a team and get contributions across the board. Many times, throughout the year you expect certain players to make headlines game after game … but for Tri-Village in the biggest games of the year it wasn’t necessarily the big headline players making the biggest contributions.
Against Minster in their regional semifinal re-match the Patriots got a spectacular relief effort from Emma Greer pitching out of two bases loaded innings. They also got a heads up throw from Addy Wright to Tai Mize who flipped to Hailey Burk tagging out the go-ahead run at the top of the 7th inning. Then in the bottom half of the inning after collecting just one hit all game long, coach Osborne called on Kaley Brandon to pinch hit and she produced with just the second hit of the game. The Patriots then got a sacrifice bunt from Burk to move Emma Cantrell on to run for Brandon. Cantrell then stole third base and eventually scored on a squeeze bunt from freshman Kash Mead to win the game 1-0.
In the state semi-final game Emma Cantrell would duplicate her aggressive base running walking in the first inning, then stole second base, then third and finally home and the Patriots made it hold up with solid pitching from Liz Poling and excellent defense to eke out another 1-0 win.
Then in the championship game contributions came from Aereonna Baker on a two RBI double, Emma Greer was 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored, Camryn Osborne scored two runs, Kash Mead was 2-for-3, one run scored, Tai Mize had a big double was 2-for-3 one RBI, one run scored, and Mylee Bierly scored one run after getting beaned twice. To wrap it up Liz Poling went the full 7 innings giving up just 3 hits and the defense was right tight behind her to secure the 6-0 shutout.
In the post-game press conference Tri-Village coach Emily Osborne talked about having a complete team with contributions from everyone being key to helping them achieve a perfect season.
“What a game and a great season, 30-0! I’m so proud of this team from top to bottom. We sat in here yesterday with three other leaders. Today, I have three new leaders, just the fact that they can play together and know their responsibilities and do them confidently, is what we needed today. I’m so proud of them and what they’re able to do,” Osborne stated.
Over the course of the last three game this reporter interviewed ten different girls just to give you an idea of how spread out the contributions were for the team.
In the press conference with shortstop Camryn Osborne, second baseman Tai Mize and left fielder Aereonna Baker they talked about how they achieved their dream of a state championship and agreed that doing their job and trusting teammates were key.
Baker who hit the redemption double, struggled knowing she got thrown out at first on the hard hit to right field, stated she has learned to trust her girls.
“I mean, we’ve been playing together since I was eight, nine years old. I was struggling at the beginning of the game and coach Shane looked at me and said, hit the ball, and I did. We all know how to communicate really well. There are times if I’m not hitting good, somebody will be. There’s always somebody hitting super good we just have to rely on our teammates,” Baker commented.
“Today wasn’t Emma Cantrell’s day but if it wasn’t for her in the last two games we wouldn’t be here. Today was my day,” Baker added.
Shortstop Camryn Osborne chimed in about the team’s defense, that helped to shut out the last three teams they played.
“I think our defense might be the best thing about this team … maybe better than our hitting,” Osborne said.
“I really believe our communication is so good. I think it comes back to that trust again. Like, we just trust each other and I’m not sure where we would be if we didn’t, we’ve just learned to play together over time,” Osborne added.
Tai Mize who came to the group a little later than some of the others was just happy to be a part of the amazing run.
“It’s an honor being able to be a junior and then becoming a senior finishing my career with these girls makes me so happy,” Mize said.
“I have to agree with them about the trust, is just like having each other’s back. Like when Cam or I back up Liz on tip balls off her glove, or even Kaylee or Emma, we’re always there, but so is our outfield. They do a great job of backing up balls that me and Cam can’t get to, so it’s having each other’s back when things do go wrong,” Mize added.
But the biggest thing that became clear was how much these girls care for each other and the encouragement they provide to pick one another up.
Baker talked about how important McKenzie Besecker and other players that weren’t able to play in the game and what they mean to the team.
“McKenzie, if she didn’t come in and talk to me and give me sips of Red Bull, like those girls are so good even if they’re not getting playing time, there just such a solid set of girls who make the difference, making us laugh, giving pep talks, it all matters,” Baker alluded.
It seemed like whenever the team needed a big play coach Osborne and Mead pulled the right strings and coach Osborne talked about that.
“They are all good girls. I believe in all of them They’ve all put in the work and all of them want it just as much as I do. So, I’m confident that whoever I put in, they want to be there, they want to play for their team. And that’s just kind of how we work it. We kind of look at who’s hitting, who’s staying positive for the team. Because it matters, these girls are alluding to that. You know, it matters to stay positive and be part of the team, and it’s awesome,” Osborne asserted
“Technically, per OHSAA we have two players who aren’t on the roster, but they’re part of the team, and keys to keeping us up, and helping us focus, to make us laugh when we need it. You know, it’s a team effort, they were part of it and that’s why they’re an awesome team,” Osborne related.
In the last two years Patriots softball has a 54-2 record and returns everyone but Emma Cantrell who will leave as a state champion.
While they will want to enjoy this magic title run for a bit, something tells me they’re ready to up the ante in 2026.
“We’ve got some ideas in mind for next year to continue keeping them challenged, because you need to keep the focus and momentum and that can be done by making them work,” Osborne concluded.
What began as innocent, wide-eyed young girls playing softball for the first time eight years ago, has evolved into a group of young women united by their love for the game. This shared passion has fostered a strong sisterhood among them, allowing these girls to develop trust in one another and play for each other, ultimately leading them to become State Champs!
