Forestville’s 4-run 5th inning response the difference in Class D Far West Regional, as magnificent 2025 Spring for Lady Eagles closes in 5-2 defeat; Fillmore ends at 17-5 overall
HAMBURG — There was a point in time during the beginning of the season where the Lady Eagles of Fillmore were still turning the key to fire up their engines. In the beginning of April, in their game against Bolivar-Richburg, the Lady Eagles had committed nine errors on the field in what was a 12-9 home loss. But despite the early complications, they continued to grind.
The Lady Eagles continued to perfect their craft, and they continued to keep pulling every positive from every game from that point forward. As a result, they only found the loss column just three more times in the remainder of the regular season, heading into the Class D playoffs with one of the top seeds in hand.
With Mylee Miller beginning to assume the fullest of commands in the circle, along with her tag-team partner behind the plate, perhaps the best bat in the Lady Eagles lineup in Morghyn Ross, the possibilities ahead were endless. One win after another through the postseason, pitted up against the likes of Lima Christian, Andover/Whitesville, Lyndonville and Keshequa, the long-awaited path to championship glory for Fillmore in Section V was officially complete.
Because of their hard work, their dedication, and more importantly, the belief they had within themselves, they reaped the rewards in full. A reward that was the first of its kind in the school’s softball history.
Fillmore also became New York State’s No. 1 ranked team in Class D, amongst other accolades.
Now, this Spring’s ledger had flipped to a brand new blank page. The inscription at the top: The New York State Tournament. With Class D still coagulated as one entire class for the Section V tournament, the Lady Eagles had already supplied one of two giant punches to their golden ticket to Binghamton — the Far West Regional.
Another would get them there.
Just a five, 10 minute trek down the road from Highmark Stadium, was Frontier High School in Hamburg. Friday was the last stepping stone separating them from that magical trip to the Empire State’s grandest stage next weekend. Their opponent — the Section VI, Class D queens of softball, the Forestville Lady Hornets, who are ranked inside the Top 5 in the State right alongside the Section V Champions.
Time to go to work.
The Lady Eagles had to overcome a strong start out of the gate from Forestville, falling into an early deficit in the same swing. They remained hopeful crossing into the next threshold of action. And when the fourth inning came around, Fillmore got their answer that was worth double the trouble to springboard ahead of the Lady Hornets for the first time in the game.
They were in control of their destiny. All they had to do was fend off Forestville for as long as they could.
Fillmore missed an opportunity to build on their lead in the top of the fifth inning with two runners on, which allowed a momentum shift to then follow. Forestville started to buzz in their next at-bats, and with it, they ran the table.
Timely hits galore.
Not only did the Lady Hornets create a level playing surface with the Lady Eagles, but they unevened it a short time later, as they dispatched a clutch four-run outing — all scored with two outs on the board, to take the lead away for good. In the field, it was Megan Gruber’s game to put to rest, as she did not surrender another run nor hit to finish off their trip to the Class D State Final Four next weekend while ending Fillmore’s magic carpet ride this Spring with a 5-2 victory.
“The keys to the game ultimately were Gruber’s pitching and then in the fourth inning, we had two outs and honestly, two crazy balls hit that we have to take an error,” said Lady Eagles coach Jon Beardsley. “I will say both of those balls were off the toe of the bat and they were spinning like a sidewinder. I feel for Tenlee (Miller) because they are tough for anyone, and she needs to know that we have her back and she always has ours. Unfortunately after that, they found the holes for a couple of hits that opened up the game for them. Forestville was a very good team that capitalized in the right moments.”
One of those moments that were capitalized upon by the Lady Hornets came during their opening at-bats. In fact, it was the very first at-bat they possessed in the batter’s box from Carilene Sliwa, who took a 3-1 pitch and sailed it straight to left center field where it met the top of the fence and out for a lead-off home run to give the Section VI victors the first lead of the contest.
It would take some time for the Lady Eagles to re-adjust after the lead-off jack, being kept quiet in the top of the second with three strikeouts from Gruber in between an Abby Earley two-out walk. The two teams then traded a rapid pair of 1-2-3 innings in the bottom half of the frame and in the top portion of the third inning.
With Forestville clinging to a one-run lead, their next chance to bolster their lead came in their third at-bats, placing two runners on with two outs to spoil another 1-2-3 inning for Miller and the Lady Eagles defense. Instead, they rebounded in the field off a perfectly fielded ball by Chloe Hennard at second to leave both on, avoiding further damage.
The momentum then shifted to a full roar in the fourth when the Lady Eagles surfaced with a game-tying moment of their own from Mattie McCumiskey, countering Silwa’s lead-off homer with one of her own, also on a 3-1 pitch, sending it to straight-away center field and out to send the Fillmore dugout into a frenzy before meeting her for a celebratory mobbing at home plate.
That wasn’t all either. They wanted more.
They got more.
In the midst of some beautiful base-running from Mylee Miller to put the Forestville defense on pins and needles, it was Kelsie Songster that brought her home on a bunt. After some shimmy-shaking between third and home, a throw to catch Miller at third went wide and allowed the sophomore pitcher to score easily to double their lead on the Lady Hornets.
Later on, Songster advanced to third right after Earley worked another bunt in the inning to become Fillmore’s second runner on base. But no more damage was supplied, as Gruber kept both threats occupying the bases stranded with a big strikeout to close up the defensive half of the frame.
Gruber finished with a complete game 11-strikeout, two-walk performance for the Lady Hornets.
The advantage for the Lady Eagles remained glued in place leading up to the fifth inning, where Forestville managed to crack through the timely hit facade with three devastating blows, beginning with Madison Christian’s RBI single into right field to tie the game at two each side. With two runners on base, Olivia Valentine put down the lumber on a blistering base hit back out into right, bringing both runners around to flip the momentum back in their favor while doubling their newly-garnered advantage.
The scoring would cease following their third and final timely hit of the frame from Kaylee Adamczak, who skirted a 2-2 pitch over the head of Chloe Hennard at second and, again, back into right field to score Valentine.
That would completely change the complexion of the game for Forestville, as they went on to score back-to-back 1-2-3 lines of defense against Fillmore to officially end their season on the field while becoming Far West Regional Champions themselves.
The Lady Eagles supplied their two runs on six total hits, with Ross leading the way with two. Tenlee Miller and Abby Earley had a hit each to chip in. On the mound, Mylee Miller went all seven innings, registering three strikeouts and three walks.
An amazing 2025 breakthrough season for Fillmore has officially reached its conclusion, as they put a wrap on the Spring and the school year with a record of 17-5 overall and their Section V, Class D Championship — the first ever in school history. The Lady Eagles will return all but three seniors next year to try and do it all over again, as they bid farewell to Summer Friedl, Ryleigh Goodliff and Montana Gayford.
For Beardsley, he said next season, with all the returners coming back for another round, will be another filled with overwhelming promise.
"We have a lot to be proud of this season. If you saw us in the second game with nine errors, you might not think we made it to a Regional Championship. Their hard work and improvement earned them a great season and a first Sectional championship in school history,” he said. “We have three seniors. Montana, who missed some time with an injury, still came with us on these trips every day to support us. Ryleigh, who came out for the first time ever and gave us a great deal of leadership. And then there’s Summer, who just improved leaps and bounds this season. Seniors can make or break you, and this group made a positive difference for sure.”
Beardsley continued his reflection, noting that “We return a big core of our line-up, and I can already tell you that they’re looking forward to the next chance again. Overall, these girls are a pleasure to coach. I love being with them and they have a great perspective. Winning is a big goal for us at Fillmore, but a bigger goal is focusing on our journey together and doing things the right way. The outcomes are a result of this, and this group gave everyone a journey to enjoy and remember.”
Fillmore 000 200 0 — 2 6 2
Forestville 100 040 X — 5 8 0
FIL – Mylee Miller (LP) (CG, 3K, 3BB) and Morghyn Ross.
FOR – Megan Gruber (WP) (CG, 11K, 2BB) and Jade Work.
