Fleetwood Mac, family keep Western Brown on pace for region repeat bid

Holding a 2-0 lead over Wilmington after two innings, Western Brown head coach Blaine Wallace told his assistants that he knew the hit parade would arrive soon.

He was right. The Broncos scored four times in the third inning, three times in the fourth, and four more times in the sixth inning to win, 13-3. Just two days after collecting eight hits against Northern Kentucky commit Lauren Diels, Western Brown knocked 17 hits and got on base a total of 20 times.

"Pitch selection has been really big this year. Trying to hit gaps and line drives, and just get hard, hard hits," senior first baseman Sophie Jamison said.

Western Brown, voted 14th in the state in USA TODAY's preseason Super 25 poll, is valuing every at-bat on offense and defense in its quest to return to the state tournament.

Western Brown in year 2 of historic stretch

From the moment their 2025 state semifinal against Dover ended, the Broncos knew they had what it takes to not just return to Akron but to win a state title.

The Broncos beat Greenville in last year's regional final and will most likely have to do so in just over a month. While the team knows a state tournament berth isn't decided by a single regular-season result or practice session, they constantly monitor Dover's and Greenville's results.

"We constantly stress that we can't take a day off. They're not," Wallace said.

Dover and Greenville were the top two teams in Division III in the first statewide coaches poll of the season. Western Brown was seventh.

The Broncos are in the middle of a historic multi-season stretch, not defined by wins and losses or district and regional titles.

That March 30 win over Goshen was the 700th in program history. On April 11, Barnes broke a program record with her 35th career double. Wallace estimates she'll be among the all-time leaders in hits, home runs and RBIs.

Timely offense powers the Broncos

Western Brown is beating teams in largely the same manner they did last year, scoring in bunches at the right moments.

Sometimes, that means establishing an early lead and cruising to victory. Other days, they've had to fight for a comeback win.

In a March 30 win over Goshen, they trailed 6-0 after one inning but scored 16 unanswered runs for a run-rule win. A week later, they led New Richmond 7-5 after six innings and scored nine times in the seventh to put the game to rest.

"Everyone knows what it means to beat us, so we always have that in our heads. Everybody's going to give us their best," Helton said.

Jamison added: "As you go through the game, you want to take the same approach as if you're in the bottom of the seventh with two outs."

Western Brown softball a tight-knit group, thanks to minimal roster turnover

The Broncos' 2025 roster was 11 players deep. They graduated one senior and welcomed three first-year players, keeping the roster close-knit.

Rian Helton is mainly a courtesy runner, taking over on the basepaths when her older sister, Charlee, reaches. Rian runs on the Western Brown's track team and, even though she has an affinity for the distance events, she has sprinted around the bases to score nine runs in eight games.

"It's kind of special because I've gotten to experience so many things with softball, and now I get to share it with her," Charlee Helton said.

Riley Adams is one of three sophomores in the starting lineup and has done an exceptional job in left field. Oakley Engle is the final newcomer this season and, even though she has to sit out the rest of the season after transferring, she hit .286 with a .375 on-base percentage and three RBIs in seven games.

Having such a small roster keeps the team accountable in the field and at the plate, knowing there aren't many backup options.

It also allows the team to take an 11-passenger van for away games.

"I drive, everybody piles in and the assistant coaches follow us. The kids laugh and joke and have a good time," Wallace said.

The Broncos have a diverse music selection on the road and when they come to the plate. Jayci Barnes, hitting in the second spot, walks to the plate to Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain." Jamison follows with "Feel Good Inc." by Gorillaz, Charlee Helton jams out to Foghat's "Slow Ride," and Sophie Herrmann closes out the throwback session with "Can't Stop" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

"I told (Charlee), when I was in high school, that was my pregame music, and that was 1978. I actually saw them in concert in 1978, and again a couple years ago. She said, 'There's no way!' and I said, 'Oh, yeah.'" Wallace said.

At home games, Wallace is held accountable not just by the team, but by fans who sit down the third-base line.

Herrmann's family, the Heltons' grandfather, and lifelong supporter Pete Neal love to joke with Wallace.

"If I screw up, they're not afraid to point it out. First scrimmage of the year, we had one out and I thought there were two. I told the girls to run and she got doubled off. Six weeks later, I still hear about it," Wallace said.

From staying locked in on the field to staying lighthearted off of it, the Broncos believe they have the perfect recipe to earn another trip to the state tournament.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Western Brown softball hoping to replicate 2025 OHSAA state run