Photo courtesy of Little Baseball and Softball Austintown's 12u Little League softball team celebrates its second straight Central Region title after defeating Missouri last week in Whiteville, Indiana.

AUSTINTOWN — Last year, Austintown Little League’s 12u softball team had the experience of a lifetime.

After winning the Ohio state Little League tournament, they marched to the Little League Central Region championship to secure a spot in the Little League Softball World Series, all while being on the brink of elimination.

Then this summer, against all odds, they did it all over again.

Austintown held off Missouri 3-2 in nine innings last week to clinch its second straight Little League Softball Central Region title and book its spot in next week’s Little League World Series in Greenville, North Carolina.

“It’s surreal. Last year, making it to the World Series was obviously a once in a lifetime thing, a once in a lifetime opportunity, and it was such a huge accomplishment,” head coach Matt Hamley said. “For us to come back, train all season — winter and in the offseason — and for these girls to put in the work to make another run and earn another chance to go back down there, it just shows what hard work can do. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity, and I’m super excited for the girls just to get this experience again.”

Seven of the team’s 12 players are making the journey for the second straight year, including ace pitchers Mila Hamley and Annabel Mikesell, Gracie Faunda, Lexi Petrilla, Ava Fisher, Gianna Hoops and Bella Mattern. So a large segment of the team knows what it’s in for.

“The experience is still there,” Matt said. “These girls played a ton of games with their travel ball teams and with me as well. So overall, the experience itself will definitely help this team and help mold this team. Plus, the leadership of the seven girls coming back is huge.”

However, five of last year’s players aged out, so five new players have been on this rollercoaster ride for the first time, including Marissa Polder, Peyton Severn, Lilly Sheffield, Kyndra Lake and Emily Belan.

But that isn’t the only thing different about this group.

“This group I would say overall is closer — they’re a closer group of girls than last year’s group,” Matt said. “And when you have that, they want to play for each other, and I think that’s just what’s going to carry them.”

Austintown began its run this summer by cruising to the 12u (Major) District championship, defeating Boardman, Howland and Canfield by a combined score of 21-1.

Then it swept through four games at the State Little League tournament without giving up a run, outscoring teams 42-0.

At the Central Region tournament, Austintown had to fight. After winning its first game against Wisconsin 3-0, it suffered its first loss of the summer to Indiana 7-1, which dropped the team into the elimination bracket.

With its back against the wall, Austintown won three straight games in the elimination bracket against Nebraska (12-0) and Illinois (2-1), before getting its revenge against Indiana (3-1), which set up its showdown with Missouri for the championship.

“I think it just shows you what’s in our girls’ blood,” Matt said. “Coming from Youngstown, just the grit that our area is known for, the fight, the determination, the relentlessness — they just go out there and they never give up and they just keep fighting till the very end. What these kids come from, nothing is ever handed to them. I gave the girls a speech about that. Everything that they have, they earned it. But not only them, their families and their parents have sacrificed so much.”

As Ohio and Central Region representatives, Austintown will open its Little League Softball World Series on Sunday against Latin America at 4 p.m. on ESPN+.

“I’m trying to do some research and find some film on them to start putting a game plan together,” Matt said. “But we’re going to play our game, and it doesn’t matter who lines up on the field across from us. We’re going to try to play the game that I like to play, and the style of softball that we like to play, and just hope for the best.”

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