Hopewell softball

Vikings Sports Now wanted to congratulate some members of the Hopewell Vikings softball program for a successful weekend.

The Pittsburgh Power- Voltage 15U softball team won the silver bracket of the Summer Slam on Sunday in Houston, Pa.

Four Hopewell varsity softball players were on the roster- Annabeth Sembower (injured), Teagan Scully, Maddi Pontis and Claire Sarkis. Also, two Hopewell varsity softball coaches are on the Pittsburgh Power coaching staff- Mark Sembower (head coach) and Riley Lewis (assistant coach).

Two other players on the roster are from Beaver County- Jocelyn Gurule/Central Valley and Addy Yohe/Riverside.

In the championship game, the Power defeated Smash Fastpitch 15U, 13-10, in a back-and-forth battle.

Hopewell’s Teagan Scully

GAME RECAP-
*In the bottom of the 4th inning, a single by Teagan Scully brought home Maddi Pontis to tie the score at 3-3.

*Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the 5th inning, Power Voltage came roaring back with a 7-run innings thanks to hits from Kassidy Hemmingway, Angelina Sohngen, Chelsea Averell, Maddi Pontis, Addy Yohe, Jocelyn Gurule and Brinlee Wolkiewicz. The Power now led 10-4.

*However, the Smash didn’t quit and scored 6 runs in the next two innings to tie the game at 10 heading into the bottom of the 7th inning. However, the Smash had a response.

Pontis led off with a walk, Scully was then hit by a pitch, putting runners at 1st and 2nd with 0 out. Following a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to 2nd and 3rd, Guiliana Palazzo drove a 2-2 pitch over the right field fence for a walk-off 3-run home run.

Hopewell’s Maddi Pontis (left)

CANFIELD, OHIO- The Melina Michelle Edenfield Foundation (www.mmefoundationjoy.org) was established in memory of Melina Edenfield, a spirted and loving young girl who lost her life to a rare and aggressive form of pediatric brain cancer known as Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG) at just four years old.

Following her diagnosis in June 2020, Melina’s family was devasted to learn how little progress had been made in treating this cruel disease – and how few options were available to children like her.

Melina with her sisters, Klara and Emilea

In response to Melina’s wishes, the Edenfield family created the foundation to honor Melina’s vibrant spirt and bring hope to other families by funding research for pediatric brain tumors.

The foundation’s mission is clear: to raise awareness, accelerate research, and ultimately find a cure for DMG and similar childhood cancers. By supporting scientific innovation and advocating for increased funding, the foundation is determined to change the narrative for other children and families facing the same unimaginable fight.

Since its inception, the Melina Michelle Edenfield Foundation has made significant strides, partnering with top tier research institutions and supporting studies that aim to unravel the complex biology of brain tumors. With a strong community base and heartfelt dedication, the foundation continues to shine a bright light on a deeply underfunded area of medical research.

CHOOSE JOY BENEFIT SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT – FRIDAY MAY 9TH THROUGH SUNDAY MAY 11TH

One of the foundation’s signature annual events is the Choose Joy Benefit Softball Tournament http://www.mmefoundationjoy.org/event/choose-joy-softball-tournament)

Held on Mother’s Day weekend, this tournament brings together teams from across the region for a weekend of competition, community spirt, and fundraising. It’s more than just a game – it’s a celebration of Melina’s chose to “Choose Joy”, is an opportunity to rally around a cause that matters, and a powerful reminder of the strength that comes from the unity of an entire region coming together. Whether you were swing a bat or cheering from the stands, your presence helping push pediatric cancer research forward.

Through Melina’s favorite vibrant colors, “cheeto” (Cheetah) print pattern on everything imaginable, Joy can be seen throughout every corner of this tournament.

I spoke with Melina’s parents, Keith and Michelle Edenfield leading up to and during the tournament.

1. Can you share some key accomplishments or achievements of this tournament?

“The most amazing thing to come from this tournament is the awareness. Our first year, I had a coach approach me and said there is no greater message I could give to my girls, and we will be back every year, and he always has. This tournament has allowed us to reach a new community of people and spread our needs for the severe underfunding of pediatric brain tumors. But even more, it has allowed us to share Melina’s message and remind everyone that joy is a choice. And you can always choose joy! This tournament has also raised an estimated $50,000 over the years!”

2. What was the goal of creating the Melina Michelle Edenfield Foundation?

“When our Melina was diagnosed with a brain tumor, we learned that we were part of a problem. We didn’t know the severe underfunding of pediatric cancer (less than 4% of all national funding) and pediatric brain tumors, the deadliest form of cancer (less than 1% funding). We were part of the problem because we were not part of the solution. With our Melina, we learned there were minimal options without success. And we also learned that the standard of care for children has not advanced in the last fifty years for the treatment of brain tumors. We knew we had to do more. Our Melina wanted us to help the doctors. Our purpose now is to privately fund research studies and clinical trials. I never want families to hear “there is nothing” and feel that helplessness. We vowed to Melina, we would fight. And today, we have dedicated our foundation to finding a cure!”

I also spoke with Mike Brubaker and his wife, Joanna Brubaker, who are the tournament directors who had this to say about the tournament.

“Our friends unexpectedly lost their youngest daughter Melina to a deadly childhood brain tumor (DMG) and my wife Joanna, and I wanted to do something to honor her, but we had no idea what that something could be. After thinking a lot about it and that that the Melina Michelle Edenfield Foundation had been established in Melina’s memory to help find a cure for this deadly disease, we decided to use our softball background to create the 1st Annual Melina Michelle Edenfield Benefit Tournament in 2021 and have donated 100% of all proceeds raised to Melina’s foundation every year since.”

“This past weekend was our 5th tournament and throughout the previous four years, our community, teams, players, coaches, and parents who have attended have blessed us with their overwhelming generosity and financial support. But we’ve come to realize now that although the money raised is truly inspiring, awesome, and flat out incredible, it isn’t the number one reason why we keep coming back to do this year after year. The main reason we continue to run this tournament is because we see the joy that it brings to Melina’s parents as they get to spend a weekend talking to so many friends, family, and strangers about their precious little girl, while promoting awareness throughout the softball community. There’s a reason it’s called “Choose Joy”!! And truthfully, we’re just thankful and humbled to be a part of this.”

This year a new tradition was introduced to create awareness and unity during the Choose Joy Tournament. Athletix 12u player Rosie Simko, a dedicated Florida Gators fan, introduced the tournament players to the Sunflower Saturday tradition. The 12U team wears sunflowers in honor of Melina every Saturday just as the Florida Gators softball team does in honor of Heather Braswell, an honorary member of their team that passed away from brain cancer at the age of 17.

Sunflowers were at every field on Saturday at the Choose Joy Tournament, as each team received enough for each player to wear – over 650 distributed. It was the definition of choosing joy on an absolutely beautiful day of softball.

Athletix 12u, including Klara (#40), sister of Melina

Several Hopewell softball players had a very strong presence in this tournament across their perspective teams: Brooke Otto (7th grade) plays on the Athletix 12u team, who is managed by Keith Edenfield, the father of Melina. Also playing on that team this past weekend from Hopewell was Alyssa Phillips (7th grade). I also had a strong connection to the tournament, as my head coach on Athletix 14U is the founder of the tournament, Mike Brubaker, and my family and I are very close to the Edenfield’s.

The full list of Hopewell players who participated this past weekend:

Lillian Otto (8th grade- Athletix 14U)

Abigail Babinsack (8th grade- Ohio Blast 13U)

Isabella Cipolla (8th grade- Ohio Blast 13U)

Isabella Mutkus (8th grade- Ohio Blast 13U)

Brooke Otto (7th grade- Athletix 12U)

Alyssa Phillips (7th grade- Athletix 12U)

Kendall Bain (6th grade- Steel City Athletix 11U)

Ohio Blast 2K11 13u featuring Hopewell athletes

The winning teams and runners-up in each division were:
8u- 1st place- Queen Bee (Wheeling, WV)/2nd Place- Honey Badgers (Canfield, OH)

10u- 1st place- Queen Bee (Wheeling, WV)/2nd Place- West Hills Softball (Imperial, PA)

12U- 1st place- Rise 360 (Poland, OH)/2nd Place- Pittsburgh Passion (Allison Park, PA)

14u- 1st place- Athletix 14u (Canfield, OH)/2nd Place- Lady Knights (Canonsburg, PA)

Personally, I am so grateful that my family and I are part of this journey, and I can’t wait to witness the progress that it will make in the future.

Thank you, Melina, for reminding us to Choose Joy!!

Athletic teammates, 14u Choose Joy champions

The Hopewell JV softball team took on the Beaver Falls Tigers and came away with a 17-0 win (5 innings, Mercy Rule).

The Lady Vikings scored 10 runs in the 1st innings, 3 more in the 3rd inning and 4 runs in the 5th. This was a game where everyone on the Hopewell roster contributed.

The big hit in the first inning was a 2-run double by cleanup hitter Mikaela David, which brought in Ella Hartle and Hazel McCowin. On the play, David went to third on a fielding error and scored on a throwing error.

In the 5th inning, Madeline Earley clubbed a run-scoring double that bounced off the bottom of the wall in straightaway center field. Center field at Beaver Falls is 215 feet from home plate – in contrast, Hopewell’s CF fence is 200 feet.

In the game, Sophia Magistro, Maddi Pontis, and Earley led the way with 2 hits each. Hartle, David and Annabeth Sembower each collected a hit. David led the way with 3 RBIs, while Hartle, Pontis and Earley had 2 RBI apiece. Magistro, Sembower, McCowin, Lily Parish and Cadence Zito each drove in a run.

Magistro and Hartle scored 3 runs, with McCowin, Pontis and Earley scoring 2 runs and David, Sembower, Parish, Zito and Addison Pavlisko all scored one run.

On the mound, 3 Hopewell pitchers combined for a 1-hitter. Ella Hartle got the start and went the first 2 innings, allowing just 1 hit, 0 walks and striking out 5 Beaver Falls batters. Madeline Earley pitched the 3rd and 4th innings and didn’t allow a hit, walked 1 and struck out 4. Addison Pavlisko closed things out, not allowing a hit and striking out 2 batters.