Submitted photo The Austintown 12U Little League softball team after defeating Clay Little League 7-0 on Wednesday to win the 12U state title. The team is comprised of Seneca Coates, Kate Averell, Annabel Mikesell, Bella Baumgaurt, Mila Hamley, Ava Fisher, Zara Burt, Tori Greathouse, Gracie Faunda, Bella Mattern, Gianna Hoops, Lexi Petrilla and Amadi Beardsley.

A softball dynasty is brewing in the Austintown community.

A year after its 10U team won Austintown’s first Little League state title since 1980, those same girls moved up to the 12U level and duplicated their feat, defeating Clay’s Lady Panthers 7-0 on Wednesday to win the 12U Little League state championship.

“Last year after we won the 10U title, we knew we had a strong team (coming back),” 12U head coach Matt Hamley said. “We had some older girls in the 12U division that played last year that were very strong players. So once our 10U team joined with the 12U team, our team became even stronger. This is probably the strongest team we’ve ever had come through the Austintown Community Softball League. So we knew that we had the talent to go and compete this year and all of their hard work ended up paying off and they showed that.”

With the title under its belt, the 12U team now sets its sights on the Little League Softball Central Region tournament from July 23-28 in Whitestown, Indiana. As Ohio state champion, Austintown will face the Iowa 12U state champion in the first round of the tournament at 1 p.m. on July 23 on ESPN+.

After winning at the 10U level, Hamley and the rest of the girls set their sights on the 12U title. But one team was standing in their way — Boardman’s 12U team, which won the 12U state title last year.

“We knew Boardman’s team was strong as well in the 12U division,” Hamley said. “We knew coming into the year it would be between us two most likely. So we were ready to play them.”

Austintown opened the Little League District 2 tournament with a 10-0 win over Canfield, but then fell in a 3-1 defeat against Boardman.

“We missed some opportunities,” Hamley said of the loss. “I made some mistakes coaching third base where we should have bunted in a couple situations, and we left some runs out on the field.”

Austintown then dropped down into the consolation bracket and defeated Howland 4-3 to set up a rematch with Boardman. Hamley’s girls bounced back and knocked off Boardman 7-0, sending both teams onto the state tournament.

At the state level, Austintown was dominant. Led by starting pitcher Mila Hamley, Matt’s daughter, the Austintown defense shut down its opposition. It defeated Ashtabula, then Boardman, then Clay by a combined score of 32-0 on the way to the title.

“I believe our team from top to bottom is the strongest team in Ohio,” Matt said. “Defensively, our pitching was great, the whole time our defense made plays when they needed to and our bats were hot for most of the tournament. Once you get down in some games, it’s tough to come back. Defensively, our pitching was great and our offense put up the runs we needed and it led to dominant performances and our kids were the best team in Ohio.”

The rise of softball success in Austintown is no accident. But, it didn’t happen overnight either. It’s a process that began back when these same girls played for the 9u team.

“I think it’s just a testament of all the hard work that all of the kids and coaches have put in over the past three years,” Matt said. “They all joined travel teams and play travel ball all year round — (plus) training, hitting lessons, pitching lessons, even speed and agility.”

In a couple years, the girls from the 12U team will move up to the high school level at Austintown Fitch.

The Falcons are coming off winning the program’s first softball state championship in program history in June, and with a significant portion of the team set to return next season, Fitch will again have high expectations.

“Everything starts with standards — I think every team in Austintown Community Baseball and Softball holds itself to a high standard,” Fitch head coach Steve Ward said. “They look to the high school and the high school looks to those young girls because they remember playing in those spots as well. It’s a great relationship between ACB and the high school — we work together quite a bit. I’m very thankful that they always include us in everything and we try to include them in everything.

“We know the ultimate goal is for them to come up to the high school and have an amazing career. It’s showing time and time again that you see all these girls grow up and the talent level is just getting stronger and stronger. We’re excited for the future, that’s for sure.”

Soon thereafter, the 12U girls will join the Falcons’ program, already with a state-title winning pedigree. As a result, softball in Austintown is building something for years to come.

“This is something that Austintown is going to become and they already are — they’re going to continue to be a powerhouse in softball from where we’re at down in 12U all the way up to the high school age,” Matt said. “Hopefully they’re very dominant for the next 7-8 years or even more than that. Because as you win, the younger girls are watching the older girls and that makes them want to play and train more and do as well as the older girls are doing. So Austintown’s going to be here for a while in the softball world.”