Agape Freedom Sports LLC

WRITTEN BY: JERIC YURKANIN

FOREST CITY: Carbondale Area came into today needing one.

Not just another game on the schedule. Not just another chance to play. They needed a response.

After taking a tough 14-0 loss to Mid Valley on Saturday, it would have been easy for confidence to take a hit. And when you are facing one of the top teams in the area — and arguably one of the top teams in the District 2 in their classification — that kind of loss can rattle a team if they let it.

But Carbondale Area did not let that loss define them.

That is what made today feel important.

Sometimes the scoreboard from the last game tries to follow you into the next one. Sometimes doubt tries to sneak into the dugout, into the batter’s box, into the circle, into every little moment. But the Lady Chargers stepped onto the field with a different mindset. They understood that one rough game against a powerhouse does not erase the work they have put in, and it does not decide what kind of team they are becoming.

And that is the key — becoming.

Because this Carbondale program is growing.

When it is their turn, when it is their game, when it is the kind of matchup they know they need to take care of, they are starting to show they understand the assignment. They do not waste time. They do not second-guess. They prepare, they put the work in, and they do what is needed.

You could feel that edge today.

There was a sense that Carbondale was not interested in carrying Saturday with them any longer. They wanted to leave that behind and write a new story. And that is what good teams learn how to do. They stop dwelling. They reset. They answer.

That does not mean everything is perfect. It does not mean this program is fully where it wants to be yet. But it does mean something is being built.

With new head coach Jeff Kelsch, this feels like a program that is laying a foundation. Maybe the full results will not show up overnight. Maybe it takes a little time. But there is something taking shape here. There is direction. There is purpose. There is a team learning how to compete, how to respond, and how to grow through both the highs and the setbacks.

So do not be too quick to count Carbondale out.

Maybe they are not fully there yet. Maybe they are still building. But give it two or three years and watch what this program can become. The pieces are being put into place. And days like today matter more than people realize, because sometimes a needed win is about more than just one mark in the standings.

Sometimes it is about belief returning.

Sometimes it is about a program starting to see what it can become.

And Carbondale Area looked like a team today that was not interested in staying down for long.

And once this one got going, you could feel the momentum begin to tilt.

The first few innings were not filled with fireworks, but they carried tension. Every pitch felt important. Every baserunner mattered. Through three innings, this was still a game that felt like it was waiting for someone to grab it by the throat. In the second inning, each team scratched across a run to make it 1-1. In the third, Carbondale pushed another run across and grabbed a 2-1 lead. It was not a blow-the-gates-open kind of start. It was more like a team slowly tightening its grip, waiting for the moment to break things open.

That moment came in the top of the fourth.

You could almost feel the dugout come alive.

Maureen Newcomb got things rolling with a double to center field, one of two doubles she would collect on the day in a strong 2-for-4 performance. Olivia Ellinger followed by drawing a walk, continuing what turned into a big afternoon in which she reached base three times, scored twice, and added a double of her own. Riley Pietrowski struck out, but Carbondale did not let that slow the inning down. Audrey Stokes grounded into a fielder’s choice, and Newcomb crossed the plate to make it 3-1.

Then the pressure really started building.

Bella Kelsch walked, and Aurora Esgro put the ball in play and reached on an error. That was enough to bring Ellinger home, and when the play continued to unravel, Stokes scored too. Just like that, it was 5-1. Carbondale was not just stringing together baserunners now — they were forcing the action. Abby Carachilo drew a walk, and then Kelsch came charging home on a steal of home to stretch the lead to 6-1. A fielder’s choice off the bat of Pietrowski brought Esgro in for another run, making it 7-1 before the inning finally ended.

“Riley came into today with a lot of confidence. We keep pushing her — she’s capable of more than 8 K’s a game. What I liked about her command today was she was hitting her spots, and her pitches were spot on. Her composure today is just building on what she already has and showing her leadership by remaining calm and believing in the team behind her. I think she did very well with both command and composure today,” said Carbondale head coach Jeff Kelsch.

What had been a tight game through three suddenly had a whole different feel to it.

The Chargers were no longer just responding.

They were taking control.

And they did it with the kind of balanced offense coaches love to see. Bella Kelsch finished the day 2-for-2 with 3 runs scored and 2 walks. Esgro scored twice and drove in 3 runs. Pietrowski did not record a hit but still found a way to produce 2 RBIs. It was that kind of offensive afternoon for Carbondale — one where pressure came from everywhere in the lineup, not just one or two bats.

Then came the kind of inning that winning teams put together when they smell the finish line.

After Carbondale’s defense threw up a zero in the bottom of the fourth, the Chargers came right back to work in the top of the fifth. Newcomb was retired to start the inning, but again, Carbondale refused to let one out kill the pressure. Ellinger worked another walk. Amethyst Kealoha-Silva followed with a single to center, part of a solid day that saw her record a hit, score a run, and swipe a base. Stokes ripped a ground-ball single to shortstop, bringing Ellinger home. Stokes quietly put together an important offensive day herself, finishing with a hit, 2 runs scored, and 2 RBIs.

Kelsch then added another single on a ground ball to second, and after Esgro drew a walk, Kealoha-Silva scored to make it 8-1.

“Some things I think worked for me offensively were just being an aggressive baserunner and staying pumped up while on base,” said Carbondale’s Bella Kelsch.

By then, the bats were rolling and Forest City was trying to stop a wave.

Carachilo then delivered one of the biggest swings of the game, ripping a double on a ground ball to left field that brought home both Stokes and Kelsch to push the lead to 11-1. Carachilo’s day was a productive one too, as she finished with a hit, a double, and 3 RBIs. Pietrowski grounded out, but Esgro scored on the play to make it 12-1. Then Alexis Borosky added another loud moment, blasting a triple to left field and bringing Carachilo home for a 13-1 advantage. Borosky finished with a hit and an RBI, and her triple was another sign of just how much life Carbondale had in its bats by that point.

“When I hit the double, I was just looking for contact to get on more. I was struggling a bit today at the plate, so it felt good to reach second and get those runs in,” said Carbondale’s Abby Carachilo.

It was the kind of offensive stretch where every at-bat felt dangerous, every baserunner felt like a threat, and every mistake by the defense seemed to come with a price.

By the end of the afternoon, Carbondale had piled up 13 runs on 9 hits, drove in 12 runs, and drew 6 walks. They kept pressure on Forest City all game, forcing 121 pitches and making nearly every inning feel uncomfortable for the home side. The Chargers also stayed aggressive on the bases, with Bella Kelsch swiping two bags and both Esgro and Kealoha-Silva adding steals of their own.

Forest City managed to score two runs in the bottom of the fifth, but by then Carbondale had already done more than enough damage. Forest City finished with 3 runs on 3 hits, with M. Eccles leading the way with a double and a run scored. A. Mead added a hit and an RBI, and S. Borsheski chipped in a hit and a run driven in as well. But Carbondale kept Forest City from ever stringing together enough offense to seriously shift the momentum.

And that was a big part of what made this win feel complete.

Yes, the bats came alive. Yes, the Chargers delivered 13 runs and a flood of pressure. But they also answered the emotional part of the game. They answered the question that can hang over a team after a lopsided loss: how do you respond when confidence gets tested?

“I think our lineup was tough from top to bottom because everyone was ready to hit, and the dugout was loud all game, so it really got my momentum up when I got into the box,” said Bella Kelsch.

Carbondale answered it the right way.

They did not carry Saturday into Thursday.

They did not look shaken.

They looked ready.

And that is what made this one feel bigger than just a score.

This was not just a 13-3 win over Forest City. This felt like a team regaining its footing. A team resetting the tone. A team reminding itself that one tough loss does not get the final word.

“After a bit of a slow start at the plate, the girls settled in and got back to hitting for contact and hitting for the team. For me, that’s what we’ve been teaching, and that is the approach offensively we will continue to build on,” said head coach Jeff Kelsch.

He added, “I think our identity is built on our speed — stealing bases whenever possible, aggressive baserunning, and discipline at the plate. Hitting for contact, moving runners, and keeping the offense on the field as long as possible. I think moving forward through the season, we will continue to improve on those things.”

“After the tough loss to Mid Valley, it was important for us to have each other’s backs defensively and prove that we have been preparing hard for this game. My teammates really helped me at the plate today, giving me confidence and telling me what I was capable of doing. I felt very locked in as the game went on and we got up more,” said Carbondale’s Abby Carachilo.

By the time the final outs settled in and the dust cleared, Carbondale did not just leave with a win.

They left with momentum.

They left with belief.

“In my opinion, I think it’s super important that our team stays active and loud because it really helps your mindset and keeps the adrenaline up. I think us staying loud caused a lot of commotion in the field for Forest City because there wasn’t a second where the dugout was quiet, and that really sets the tone for everything,” said Bella Kelsch.

And they left looking like a team that may have taken one hard punch on Saturday — but came right back swinging in a big way.

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Huge thank you to our sponsors Andy’s Pizza, Tasty Freeze, Lewis Brothers, and everyone who donated and contributed to our softball season and continues to support Agape Freedom Sports. Because of you, these stories get told.