Staff photo / Brian Yauger Champion’s Adalyn McIntosh high-fives coach Cheryl Weaver while rounding third base after her first-inning home run during Thursday’s game against Lakeview.

CHAMPION — On Thursday, two of Trumbull County’s top softball teams, Champion and Lakeview, went at it.

In a pitchers’ duel to the very end, Flashes sophomore Adalyn McIntosh’s first-inning home run made the difference in a 4-3 victory over the Bulldogs, in effect avenging a 7-3 defeat at the hands of Lakeview last season.

“Last year they beat us pretty bad at their place, so it was real special to get ahead and keep the lead,” Champion coach Cheryl Weaver said. “It’s very special for the girls, especially the ones that played last year.”

Going up against a state semifinalist, it would have been easy for the moment to feel a little too big for the young Flashes squad.

But Champion’s youngest players came up big when they needed to. The moment was never too big on Thursday. McIntosh’s two-run home run was a no-doubter, and later on in the game, sophomore Taylor Rouan made a leaping grab to end the top of the sixth.

“That’s two games that she has jumped up (like that for a catch),” Weaver said. “For one of the shortest girls on the team, she’s got hops. She gets up there and gets it. I’d need a stepladder to make that catch. She’s just been lights out defensively, and she’s doing it at the plate, too.”

Both sophomore Jianna Shaker and Isabella Isenberg pitched for the Bulldogs.

Lakeview brought it down to the last out after Kalyssa Werner scored freshman Ava Neilan in the top of the seventh. With the winning run at the plate, McIntosh struck her out, and the Flashes claimed victory.

“This is the game of softball, and that’s what’s great about playing great teams. It’s always going to wind up going to the team that plays the softball the best,” Bulldogs coach Dave Kelm said. “We’re not wrestling people. We’re not out here having foot races. It seems like it, but it’s all about playing the ball on both sides of it.”

As Lakeview (17-4) closes out the rest of the regular season, Kelm hopes to see his group as amped up as they were toward the end of the game against Champion.

“They called it out themselves; I didn’t have to call that one out. We started behind on the energy, and then we were trying to crawl back into it,” Kelm said. “I’m a huge fan, a huge coach, and a huge preacher of momentum. It really turns the tide on close games.”

The Flashes were eager for revenge, and the celebration after the final out said it all.

“They wanted this game so bad,” Weaver said. “(McIntosh) has been on them too, got to stay up all the time, and it’s great. They have that desire, that’s the key. That desire to keep winning, to go as far as we can, and I’m very proud.”

Weaver has preached all season about being a group of fighters. To top Lakeview, they were going to have to fight, and they did.

The Flashes (11-4) have now won eight straight contests.

They host Akron Hoban on Saturday and kick off next week with a doubleheader against Newton Falls.

With the tournament draw Sunday and the season quickly coming to a close, Champion is looking ahead and remains optimistic.

“Hopefully we can keep this going,” Weaver said. “We’ve got one loss (in league play), hopefully that’s what we can keep it at. Then after that, it’s go as hard as you can. I believe they can go quite a ways. You’ve got to be up all the time, and you’ve got to be ready to play and to fight.”