Ellet remains atop City Series baseball, softball standings; Firestone running in second

First-year head coaches Sara Albaugh and Scott Swan are enjoying the view atop the City Series standings in softball and baseball, respectively.

And so are their players as both Ellet teams entered Friday undefeated in league play.

Ellet won the City Series softball regular-season and postseason championships last season . Ellet's baseball team won the league's regular-season title and lost to Firestone in the postseason final .

Sicillia Albaugh, Emily Kearns, Grace Norman and Rylie Sprouse lead Ellet softball

Senior Emily Kearns and juniors Sicillia Albaugh, Grace Norman and Rylie Sprouse are playing starring roles for Ellet's softball team (10-4, 6-0).

Albaugh, Kearns, Norman are each batting .500. Norman has 20 RBIs and 20 runs. Albaugh has two home runs, 19 RBIs and 25 runs. Kearns has one home run, 18 RBIs and 23 runs.

"We are having a good season so far," Kearns said. "We have been playing really good competition, which helps us become a better team. We know that each game we show up to we have to play it 100%. One of our main strengths is that most of us have all played softball with each other since we were little kids, whether that being rec ball, travel ball or even the past couple years playing together in high school.

"We all have a great bond and have a lot of fun together. We rely on each other."

Sprouse is Ellet's pitching ace with and 8-3 record, a 3.65 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 61⅓ innings.

" Ellet softball is a team of dedicated, hard workers," Sprouse said. "We all put in countless hours of conditioning, hitting, pitching, catching and defensive drills. We are just a group of girls that love the sport and are willing to go out each day and play hard and get a little better with every game we play.

"I think what adds to our success is our strong team bond and friendship. A lot of us spend time together outside of softball, and I believe it helps us play for each other on the field."

Ellet's other core players include sophomores Addison Lipply, Bella Lipply, Lulu Russell and Keyli Myers, junior Avery Simmons, senior Maysun Jones and freshman Riley Kearns (15 RBIs).

"They are really coming together and playing as a team," Sara Albaugh said. "... They are fantastic."

Justin Williams, Joshua Sims, Hunter Milsap and Noah Williams guide Ellet baseball

Seniors Justin Williams and Hunter Milsap have stepped into larger leadership roles for Ellet's baseball team (7-6, 7-0) with juniors Joshua Sims and Noah Williams and freshman Keaton McKeel.

"We have improved since the beginning of the season," Swan said. "... We have a hard-fought victory against Firestone."

Justin Williams is hitting .343 with 13 RBIs, 11 runs and seven stolen bases. McKeel is batting .343 with 16 runs, six RBIs. Sims is hitting .320 with nine runs. Milsap is at .313 with 10 RBIs and eight runs.

Noah Williams is Ellet's ace on the mound with a 3-2 record and 19 strikeouts in 17⅓ innings.

"It was iffy at the start of the year [after 11 seniors graduated from last year], but in the last month or month and a half we have improved a lot," Justin Williams said.

Ellet's other regular contributors are freshman Logan Wilson, seniors LeeAnthony Hopkins, Preston Blythe, Landon Frank and senior Zack Cook and sophomore Bret Mitchell.

"I love the way that we all play together as one," Hopkins said. "Our coaches love to talk about how we all have to be together no matter what situation, win or lose. We win as a team. We lose as a team.

"I think we have a nice, young group of kids that love to play baseball and love to learn. Especially for the seniors, we love to teach the young guys for the future of the Ellet baseball program ."

Firestone ready to challenge for City Series baseball and softball titles

Firestone features senior starters CJ Heller, Nick Cribbet and Simon Hostler.

"We want to springboard off of what we did last year and keep it going," Firestone baseball coach Jeff Sloan said.

Haneef Abdul-Mujib, Malcolm Bufford, Brennen Hostler, Skyler Nespo, Isaak Nespo and Luke Rhamy are also among the returnees for the Falcons (5-5, 5-1). Jose Uzcategui and Nate Plas are solid newcomers.

"We have a lot of depth," Heller said. "We have a lot of good players. ... This is the first year in a while that we have good depth pitching-wise."

Cribbet said: "I think the best team at Firestone in recent years was the [Division I] district runner-up team in 2019 . Our team goal is to really make this year our mark in Firestone baseball history and show what we can do. ... We are focused on playing good baseball and having a good time."

Firestone softball coach Jill Williams is relying on returning starters: seniors Elaine Barr, Anna Morrow and Jordan Williams, juniors Myliyah Phok and Lila Stark and sophomores Brianna Ellerson-Dyer and Leah Cirullo. The Falcons are 6-5 overall and 5-1 in the league.

"I am really excited to play as a senior, and I think we have a great team coming," Barr said. "We have a lot of sophomores."

Morrow added she and her teammates "are making so much good progress."

Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ .

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ellet remains atop City Series baseball, softball standings; Firestone running in second