Clermont Northeastern is the Southern Buckeye Conference American Division fastpitch softball champion. The members of the team are, front row from left, Aryn Fetters, Chelsae, Osborn, Brook McQuitty, Cydney Hill, and McKena Miller; row two, Raelyn Reynolds, Katie Joslin, Emily Anderson, and Jordan McGowan; and row three, assistant coach Jim Spencer, Samantha Strotman, Carly Aselage, Allison Staab, and head coach Bill Goldfuss. Not pictured, assistant coaches Doug Anderson and Jim Reynolds.
Clermont Northeastern experienced an outstanding varsity fastpitch softball season. Earning a very commendable 18-6 overall season record, the Rockets were champions of the Southern Buckeye Conference American Division with a perfect 10-0 mark.

“The girls put in a lot of hard work. They had a great work ethic. It was very positive for the team that they bought into what the coaches were teaching them,” said Bill Goldfuss, the head coach of the Blue and Gold.

Goldfuss very highly praised the work of his staff of assistant coaches, Jimmy Reynolds, Doug Anderson, and Jim Spencer.

“Our pitching and our defense was great all year. Those were the team’s biggest strengths in every game. Those two factors kept us in the game and we almost always got the key hits when we needed them.”

The talented Northeastern defense saw Cydney Hill, a senior, behind the plate, McKenna Miller, a sophomore at first base, Raelyn Reynolds, a sophomore, at second base, Chelsae Osborn, a sophomore, at shortstop, Jordan McGowan, a junior, at third base, Samantha Strotman, a senior, in left field, Carly Aselage. a sophomore, in center field, Katy Joslin, a sophomore, in right field, and the dominant pitching force, Emily Anderson, a sophomore, was always on the mound.

“The future looks bright. We’re losing only two seniors, Cydney Hill and Sam Strotman,” said Goldfuss. “We had a good JV (junior varsity) team and we have good freshman and eighth graders coming up.”

Anderson, for the overall season racked up an 18-6 record that included 13 shutouts. In 158 innings pitched she achieved a 0.71 earned run average allowing just 16 earned runs on 65 hits. She struck out 254 opponents.

The productive offense was spearheaded by some fine batting averages. Miller hit .541, Hill .403, Osborn .384, and Anderson .382.

The most hits were made by Miller who hit safely 40 times, Anderson 29 times, Osborn 28, Hill 27, and Reynolds 21.

Miller scored the most runs with 34, Osborn crossed the plate 26 times, Anderson 16, and Hill and Reynolds 11 tallies apiece.

The most teammates hit in were brought home off the bat of Hill who drove in 26, Anderson 21, Osborn 19, and Aselage and Reynolds who each plated 13 teammates.

The doubles leaders were Miller with eight and six apiece were achieved by Hill and Reynolds.

Osborn led Clermont Northeastern with six three-baggers.

The Blue and Gold as a team hammered out three home runs, two by Osborn and one by Aselage.

By far the best base stealer was Miller who swiped 23.

The Rockets had some very talented bunters and registered a good number of sacrifice bunts. McGowan made four and Staab and Hill both advanced a teammate successfully three times.

The team toppers with sacrifice flies were Osborn with three and Reynolds with two.

One-half dozen members of the CNE defense played very well all season. Miller was flawless with all of her 118 chances, Hill’s percentage of defensive action was .996, Anderson .980, Reynolds .952, Osborn .938, and McGowan .904.

The remainder of the roster of champions were sophomores Brook McQuitty, Aryn Fetters, and Abbi Pritchard.