High School

Vote Now: What was the top play from the OHSAA softball state tournament?

Here are the nominees for the top plays in the OHSAA softball state tournament.

Ryan Isley, SBLive Sports

Vote Now: What was the top play from the OHSAA softball state tournament?
Vote Now: What was the top play from the OHSAA softball state tournament? /
Triway Alder Softball Jeff Harwell3

The OHSAA held the softball state tournament this past weekend at Firestone Stadium in Akron with Lakota West, Triway, Wheelersburg and Strasburg taking home the top honors in their respective divisions.

There were plenty of great plays in the 12 games played across the four divisions, and here are some of the best (listed in chronological order). Read through the nominees and cast your vote. Voting will conclude Sunday at 11:59 p.m.

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Hanna Massaro and Madison Fatzinger double play, Triway

With Triway leading 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning of the Division II semifinals against Heath, the sophomore left fielder made a catch in foul territory and then made a perfect throw home to catcher Madison Fatzinger to get the runner and complete the double play. Triway won by that same 3-0 score.

“She hit that foul ball, and everybody was screaming ‘four’ and I just let it go,” Massaro said. “I was thinking catch it and go four.”

Remi Gregory double play, Oak Harbor

With Oak Harbor trailing 1-0 in the second inning of the Division II semifinal game against Jonathan Alder and Alder having a runner on first and no outs, the third baseman caught a bunt that was popped up and threw to first to complete the double play.

Danielle Robbins inside-the-park HR, Jonathan Alder

In the fifth inning of the Division II semifinal game against Oak Harbor, the speedy second baseman split the gap in right center and rounded the bases for an inside-the-park homer to make it 4-0. Alder went on to win 5-0.

“I always think I am not stopping until I get stopped,” Robbins said. “I am going until somebody tells me to stop. That’s what we practice.”

Holland Springfield double play, Holland Springfield

Trailing Watkins Memorial 1-0 in the second inning of the Division I semifinals, pitcher Mady Yackee struck out Kiera Mayer and catcher Maddie Darrah threw a strike to shortstop Camryn Hall to complete the inning ending double play. Springfield won the game 4-2.

Jordan Wycuff and Hannah Hunt get baserunner stealing second, Watkins Memorial

With two outs in the third and holding a 1-0 lead in the Division I semifinals, Wycuff made a throw to second with Audrey Miller attempting to steal for Holland Springfield. Hunt made the catch and reached back to tag out Miller.

Camryn Eckhart home run, Holland Springfield

On a day where the ball wasn’t traveling well, Eckhart got all of one in the fourth inning with Springfield trailing 1-0 and hit a two-run homer to left field to give Springfield the 2-1 lead. Springfield won the Division I semifinal game 4-2.

“It was an inside pitch and inside pitches are the pitch I am looking for,” Eckhart said. “I was angry at that point, and I knew I had to do something. I full swung and there it went and there was no doubt.”

Anna Jones throws out runner at home, North Canton Hoover

In the first inning of the Division I semifinal against Lakota West, the left fielder fielded a ball hit by Kendall Forren and threw out Belle Hummel attempting to score from second on the hit.

Kendall Forren and Molly Grace double play, Lakota West

With Lakota West trailing 5-2 in the second inning of the Division I semifinal against North Canton Hoover, Faith Kiko of Hoover hit a popup foul near the third base dugout. Forren got to the ball and made the catch and then whipped around and made a perfect throw to Molly Grace covering third to get Faith Reicosky who was trying to advance from second base for the double play. Lakota West came back for a 13-5 win.

“It was in the back of my head that (Reicosky) was there but I heard Molly (Grace) and Haley yelling at me to go three, so I turned around,” Forren said. “They basically helped me a lot there.”

Haley Reiger home run, Strasburg

In the second inning of the Division IV semifinal game against Bradford, the second baseman hit a three-run homer to left field to give Strasburg a 4-0 lead. The Tigers went on to win the game 10-1.

“I was just looking to square the ball up, no matter what,” Reiger said. “I knew I had to do my job and get on base and it just happened to be over the fence.”

Addysen Stevens diving catch, Lincolnview

In the bottom of the sixth inning of the Division IV semifinal game against Hillsdale, Stevens made a diving catch in left field on a ball hit by Kylie Ohl. The catch came with Lincolnview leading 5-0. Hillsdale had nobody out and a runner already on second base when the play happened. Lincolnview won the game 5-2.

Macaira Fox two-run double, Tuslaw

In a scoreless game against Miami East in the Division III semifinals, Fox got around on a pitch and put it in the left field corner for a two-run double to give Tuslaw a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Tuslaw went on to win 6-1.

“I think I had to settle in,” Fox said. “I went up there with the mindset that I had to make something happen. The main thing I told myself was to slow down and drive through the ball.”

Macaira Fox and Miriam Peterson get runner at the plate, Tuslaw

With Tuslaw leading 5-1 in the fifth inning of the Division III semifinals, Miami East had a runner on second with nobody out when Abigail Kadel hit a single to center. Fox came up with the ball and fired home to Peterson, who tagged out the runner to preserve the four-run lead. Tuslaw won 6-1.

“I went to pick it up and I saw no runner close to (home) so I knew I still had some time and I threw it as hard as I could,” Fox said. “I trust Miriam back there. She holds it down very well. She is incredible back there. I knew we had her as soon as I let it go.”

Riley Burchett two-run home run, Cardington-Lincoln

Trailing 1-0 early in the Division III semifinals against Wheelersburg, Burchett launched a two-run homer to left to give Cardington a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first.

Macee Eaton go-ahead double, Wheelersburg

After having been intentionally walked the first two times to the plate, Eaton got a chance to hit with Wheelersburg and Cardington-Lincoln tied 2-2 in the fifth inning of the Division III semifinals. She took advantage with a double to right to score Haley Myers to give Wheelersburg the 3-2 lead. The Pirates went on to win 5-2.

“I have worked on it all season, just understanding that sometimes they don’t want to pitch to me,” Eaton said. “But every time the mess up, I want to take the opportunity and crush it.”

Haley Myers over-the-shoulder catch, Wheelersburg

With Wheelersburg leading 5-2 in the seventh inning of the Division III semifinals, Genevieve Longsdorf of Cardington-Lincoln led the inning off by hitting a ball to short right field. The second baseman went out and made the over-the-shoulder catch to keep Cardington-Lincoln off the bases. Wheelersburg won 5-2.

Hailey Massaro and Emma Hudson defensive gem, Triway

With Triway leading 2-1 in the seventh inning of the Division II championship game, Jonathan Alder’s Marlee Jacobs led off the inning by hitting a bloop between short and third that took a bounce to the right of Massaro at shortstop. She grabbed the ball on her knee as she reached to her right and fired to Hudson at first, who stretched as far as she could to catch the ball and record the out. Triway won 2-1.

“Hailey always throws hard, that’s for sure,” Hudson said. “I literally laid my entire body out and prayed that I caught it. I looked in my glove and was like ‘oh wait, there it is.’”

Lily Volmer and Molly Grace double play, Lakota West

With Lakota West leading 2-1 in the second inning of the Division I championship game, Holland Springfield had runners on first and second with one out. Sydney Schwietermann hit a ball to right field. It looked like Volmer made the catch, but she dropped the ball. She threw to second base to a waiting Grace, who tagged the base for an out and then tagged the runner who had been on second for a double play. She also went and tagged the runner from first just in case. Lakota West won the game 9-2.

“I was really confused, I’m not going to lie,” Grace said. “I didn’t know what the call was so then I just took the ball and started tagging every person on the field I saw.”

Emma Gilkerson and Danielle Wright double play, Strasburg

With Strasburg leading 2-0 in the top of the fifth inning of the Division IV championship game, Lincolnview’s Andi Webb led off with a single. Then Zadria King hit a ball that looked like it might fall in short left but Gilkerson made the catch and then fired to first base to Wright to get Webb and complete the double play. Strasburg won the game 3-2.

Maggie Richards and Sydney Sibila get runner at plate to end game, Strasburg

With Strasburg leading 3-1 in the top of the seventh inning of the Division IV championship game, Lincolnview had runners on second and third with two outs and had just scored its first run of the game. Ashlyn Price hit a single to center that was fielded by Richards, who fired home to try to cut down the tying run. Sibila caught the ball, turned around and tagged the runner out to clinch the state championship.

“The first throw I didn’t think I got the ball all the way there,” Richards said. “So my second time I set my feet and threw the ball as hard as I could to the plate.”

Macee Eaton home run to center, Wheelersburg

In the seventh inning of the Division III championship game, Eaton got a chance to hit foe just the second time after taking two intentional walks early in the game. After flying out the first time, she didn’t miss in the final inning and hit a ball to dead center that cleared the fence for her 20th homer of the season. Wheelersburg won 5-2.

“It was great,” Eaton said. “I didn’t know if it was going to get over or not, so I just started sprinting. I am happy it went over.”

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Ryan Isley, SBLive Sports
RYAN ISLEY, SBLIVE SPORTS

Ryan Isley is a Regional Editor for SBLive Sports, covering Ohio and Pennsylvania. 

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