3 college commits lead show

“Everyone is meshing together real well,” senior pitcher Brooke Gallaher said. “We’re all friends and we have a good time. Most of us hang out together outside of softball. Coach (Molly) Berry has helped us a lot with our hitting, and we started doing morning workouts this year and I think that’s helped make us stronger. We started working out on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and that’s helped us stay strong.”

Gallaher, last year’s TRAC Pitcher of the Year, is 10-1 with a 1.47 ERA this season and is one of three Eagles to have committed to play college softball.

Gallaher, 17, will play at Lourdes University in Sylvania, while last year’s conference player of the year, senior center fielder Honnah Susor, will play at Wright State University near Dayton. Gallaher and Susor have signed letters of intent. Sophomore left fielder Haley Dominique has given a verbal agreement to play at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind.

Lourdes, in its second full season as a college program, is a member of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. The Gray Wolves went 12-24 in 2013.

“I really like the school,” Gallaher said. “It’s a small environment and I wanted to go into nursing. The nursing program was a big contributor (to my decision). I really wanted to stay close to home so I could be around my family and friends.”

The Gray Wolves, coached by Jo Ann Gordon, play their home games at Pacesetter Park. Former City League Pitcher of the Year Kasey Graham, a Clay product, is a senior at Lourdes and is 5-13 with a 5.42 ERA this season.

“There have been a couple players from Clay who played there, so that got me wanting to play there,” said Gallaher, who signed her letter of intent on Oct. 22. “I spent a night with the team and got along with them. It was kind of a relief to me, like a weight lifted off my shoulders. One, I am able to pay for my school and two, I can continue to play softball. Everyone was proud of me that I got a scholarship.”

Gallaher, who pitched a no-hitter against Southview on April 17, said she began thinking about becoming a critical care nurse after her grandfather, Wayne Rode, got brain cancer “and I saw him struggling,” Gallaher said. “He passed away my freshman year.”

Gallaher and Susor have been playing softball together “since we were 11 or 12,” Gallaher said. Susor, who is hitting .597 with 28 RBI, 20 stolen bases and five home runs this season, said she intends to go into sports psychology at Wright State.

“It’s not a huge campus and it’s really clean,” Susor said. “The (academic) field I want to go into is a nice organization there. I really liked the enviroment and I feel I can adjust really well there. The team all seeemed pretty cool and nice. I visited in August and signed letter of intent in October.”

Like Gallaher, Susor, 17, said signing her letter of intent was a big relief.

“I was really stressed going into the summer, playing summer ball,” Susor said. “I didn’t really have that many schools looking at me. Me and my dad (Mike) didn’t really put myself out there to colleges and stuff. Molly Berry went to Wright State and she helped me get in contact with the coaches.

“A lot of my friends were stressing this year because they didn’t know what they are doing (after high school), and I’ve known for quite a while. I’m really looking forward to it, a new environment. It’s like going to into a new world, going into my own. I’m really excited.”

The Raiders, coached by Lynn Curylo, are members of the Division I Horizon League. While Susor is excited about her future, she’s also excited about the potential of this year’s Clay squad moving forward.

“We have a lot of team chemistry,” she said. “A lot of the girls have grown up knowing each other. We just mix really well together. I kind of came into this season with confidence, knowing we would do well.”

Dominique, 15, a left fielder who bats second in the Eagles’ lineup (behind Susor), was a first-team all-conference selection as a freshman in 2013. She is hitting .435 with 29 RBI and 22 steals this season and said playing for manager Bill Conroy’s Beverly Bandits, a Chicago-based softball organization, helped her get exposure to college coaches.

“The Bandits are a big organization in the Midwest, and they have a bunch of girls who have already committed,” Dominique said. “There are eighth-graders who are already committed. Last fall was was my first season with them.”

Dominique said she visited Ball State in November, on her inaugural college visit.

“I didn’t have anything to compare it to, but it was a great, cool experience,” she said. “I went to their camp in November and they offered after I went to their camp. Softball recruiting is really nuts nowadays. I went to a few camps, to Central Michigan, and they offered me, too. The places I went, I felt Ball State was right for me and I felt comfortable there.”

The Cardinals, coached by first-year coach Tyra Perry, seemed like the perfect team to play for, according to Dominque.

“It seems like a really good school, and their softball program is really good,” she said. “I felt comfortable when I was there.”

Although she has two more years to decide, Dominique said she might study physical therapy at Ball State. For now, she’s helping Clay tear up its opponents.

“Since we brought back 10 starters, we’ve all pretty much jelled and we know how each other plays,” Dominique said. “We just click, and the morning workouts help us keep our strength. We have good team chemistry, and that can take you far. If you ask every girl on our team, they’d say we want to go all the way. Bring it on.”

SG-Haley Dominique
Clay sophomore Haley Dominique has given verbal agreement to play at Ball State. (Press photo by Scott Grau)

SG-Honnah Susor
Wright State University-bound Clay senior Honnah Susor (Press photo by Scott Grau)

SG-Brooke Gallaher
Lourdes University-bound Clay senior pitcher Brooke Gallaher. (Press photo by Scott Grau)