Watkins Memorial, Logan Elm, Liberty Union win OHSAA softball regional championships
The Watkins Memorial softball team beat Lancaster 5-0 on Friday at Big Walnut to win its fourth consecutive Division I regional championship.
The second-ranked Warriors (29-1) play Whitehouse Anthony Wayne in a state semifinal next Friday at Firestone Stadium in Akron.
Watkins jumped on the No. 5 Golden Gales (28-4) in the first inning as Cortney Dobbs hit a three-run home run. The Warriors added single runs in the second and third innings on an RBI double by Kyliee Trouten and an RBI single from Kendal Tellings.
Carsyn Cassady struck out just five for Watkins, but her defense backed her in a four-hitter. Right fielder Grace Whitman made a lunging catch in the gap in right-center in the sixth and a running catch in deep right in the seventh.
—Kurt Snyder, Newark Advocate
Division II
Logan Elm 7, Dover 3
Jacie Clifton had two hits and four RBIs, including a three-run home run in the fourth inning to blow open a regional final at Pickerington Central and power the Braves (21-8) to their second state tournament and first since 2012.
Sadie Binkley and Lynsay Vanhoose each added two hits, and Binkley struck out seven and allowed five hits.
A fielder’s choice, passed ball and Tia Fowler’s RBI single staked Logan Elm to a 3-0 first-inning lead over the eighth-ranked Tornadoes (26-4).
Logan Elm will play Bryan in a state semifinal next Friday in Akron.
Springfield Kenton Ridge 6, Granville 2
Avary King’s two hits led the second-ranked Blue Aces (28-4) in a regional final loss to No. 3 Kenton Ridge (26-5) at Wright State.
Ally Ernsberger struck out nine and gave up seven hits as Granville, which committed three errors, fell short of its first state berth since 2015. Four of Kenton Ridge’s runs were unearned.
—Dave Purpura
Division III
Liberty Union 9, Casstown Miami East 7
The Lions (22-6) stormed to a 7-1 lead after two innings at Centerville, and two hits each from Hayden Brunty, Payton Hochradel and Alexis McCoy helped Liberty Union to its first regional championship since 2011 and second all-time.
Suzie Shultz’s two-run single and RBI singles from Macie Wollenburg and Addie Osterman punctuated a four-run fourth inning. Shultz struck out seven and gave up nine hits.
Liberty Union takes an 11-game winning streak into next Friday’s semifinal against No. 6 Oak Harbor.
Oak Harbor 11, West Jefferson 2
The Roughriders (13-12) fell a win short of their first state berth since 2019, scoring both of their runs in the first inning of a regional final at Findlay.
West Jefferson was outhit 17-2. The Roughriders tied the game in the first inning on Jenna Mannon’s two-run home run but were held to one hit the rest of the game.
—Dave Purpura
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Watkins Memorial, Logan Elm, Liberty Union softball advance to state
