SPORTS

Tallmadge, Hoban, Norton, Springfield advance to Division II softball district finals

Akron Beacon Journal
Tallmadge softball coach Brittany Lightel high fives Zoe Rensel as she rounds third after hitting a solo home run against Copley in a 2022 district semifinal.

SOFTBALL

Canton Division II District Semifinal

Tallmadge 8, Copley 3

Zoe Rensel hit a two-run home run in the first inning and a solo home run in the fourth inning to lead Tallmadge (19-5) to a win at Willig Park on Tuesday.

Lauren Teeling contributed a three-run triple in the bottom of the first as Tallmadge scored five runs to take control. Sydney Becks, Rensel, Lexi Gray, Ashlyn Severns and Jocelyn Caffelle each scored a run in the first.

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Becks finished with three singles and two runs and Gray had two singles and two RBIs for Tallmadge, who defeated Copley for the third time this season.

Tallmadge's Riley Jackson struck out eight, allowed seven hits and pitched a complete game. Copley's Sophia Roah hit two RBI singles and Missy Deptowicz contributed two singles and an RBI. 

Tallmadge will meet Hoban in a district final at 5 p.m. Thursday at Willig Park.

Hoban catcher Sidney Conti and pitcher Faith Porter have the Knights rolling at the Division I level this season.

Canton Division II District Semifinal

Archbishop Hoban 13, St. Vincent-St. Mary 1

The Knights (19-7) scored three runs in the first and second innings, and erupted for seven runs in the third inning in a five-inning win over the rival Irish at Willig Park.

Lacie Quarles and Robyn Ryan were very productive at the top of Hoban's lineup. Quarles and Ryan hit three singles apiece and both scored three runs. Ryan finished with three RBIs and Quarles had one RBI.

Hoban's other key hitters were Kennedy Bray (double, single, four RBIs, run); Taylor Gerring (single, RBI, run), Ellie Hardman (triple, double, two RBIs, run) and Lexi Hart (single, RBI, run).

Chloe Foster, Nylah Durham, Mackenzie Wood, Quarles, Ryan, Bray and Gerring each scored a run in the third for Hoban, who beat STVM for the second time this season.

STVM took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Jane Clark doubled and scored on a single by Avarie Mays.

Hoban's Faith Porter did not allow a hit after the first inning and pitched a complete game with nine strikeouts. 

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Sydney Hillyard of Springfield pitches against Revere during their division II district semifinal game at Firestone Stadium in Akron Tuesday night. Springfield won 11-3.

Akron Division II District Semifinal

Springfield 11, Revere 3

The Spartans (15-7) advanced to the final at Firestone Stadium with a comprehensive  victory over the Minutemen (9-10).

Pitcher Sydney Hillyard (11-3) threw a complete game, allowing three runs and nine hits. The Spartans played error-free ball and made spectacular plays behind Hillyard.

Springfield trailed 1-0 early after Revere's Paige Kelly scored after a lead-off double in the first.

Kendall Crytzer, left, of Springfield tags out Ava Ash of Revere who is caught off base during the first inning of their division II district semifinal game at Firestone Stadium in Akron Tuesday night. Springfield won 11-3.

The Spartans, aided by two Revere errors, scored five runs in the third inning to take the lead. Shortstop Leah Kern stroked a two-run single, followed by an RBI triple from Erin Stubbs, an RBI double from Carsen Jones and an RBI single from Hillyard.

Kern went 3-of-4 with a walk and a run scored.

Stubbs finished with a five-RBI night, as she added a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, followed by a base-clearing double in the seventh to put the game out of reach.

Jones finished with a double, a single and two runs scored.

Kelly finished with a double, a single and an RBI for the Minutemen.

More:The Perfect Storm: Springfield softball has great one-two punch in Hochstetler, Ruggiero

LaGrange Division II District Semifinal

Norton 10, Buckeye 0 (5 innings)

It took one spark for the fourth-seeded Panthers (18-7) to get going against the eighth-seeded Bucks (15-9).

That spark came from Ava Dreher, who hit a no-doubt-about solo home run to center field to get things going in the third inning. By the time the fourth inning ended, it was 9-0 Norton and the Panthers were talking about returning to the district final.

“We talked before the inning started about having better at-bats and better swings,” Norton coach Dick Castilow said. “Ava steps up and just drills one. That was perfect. It just opened the floodgates.”

Dreher add a single and scored twice, Fallon Donley had two singles and a double and Niki Cowx added two doubles and three RBIs.

That’s all Chloe Bird (15-5) needed. The senior threw a one-hitter and struck out nine. Up next, is a district final with second-seeded Keystone (21-5).

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LaGrange Division II District semifinal

Keystone 11, Coventry 1 (6 innings)

The reigning state champion Wildcats (21-5) pushed four runs across and rode the arm of Lily Cassell (17-4) in a win over the 10th-seeded Comets (13-4). Maddie Belknap's RBI double in the sixth kept Coventry from being shut out.

Ellet 12, Wickliffe 11

Emily Kearns hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth to score the final run and propel Ellet (11-6) to a win in a regular season game. 

Ellet's Allie Kramer hit two triples and one double and had four RBIs, Stephanie Eiseman and Carmen Allen each hit three singles, Brooke Norman added a double and two RBIs and Sici Albaugh contributed a triple, a single and two RBIs. 

Wickliffe's Laylah Ruscin hit a triple, double and home run and had seven RBIs. 

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy 15, Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph 12

Becca Stahl hit a single, a double and a home run, scored four runs and had three RBIs to lead the host Royals to a win over the Vikings.

CVCA's other impact hitters were Kya Shellford (single, double, three runs, two RBIs); Camdyn Hodas (double, three RBIs, two runs) and Callie Lessing (two singles, RBI, run).

More:Royal Ace: Andrew Hendrickx leading CVCA to unfamiliar heights

BASEBALL

Brunswick Division I Sectional Semifinal

Brunswick 12, Firestone 2

Blue Devils starter Henry Mates (4-2) struck out seven and pitched a complete game to top the Falcons. Brunswick's top hitters were Drake Blasco (home run, two RBIs); Drew Harvey (single, double, three runs); Zach Anderson (double, three RBIs); Aidan Hanlon (double, two RBIs) and Nate Kazimore (double, three RBIs).

Canton Division I Sectional Semifinal

Cuyahoga Falls 2, Canton McKinley 0

The visiting Black Tigers recorded a win at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium.

"The three stars of the game were Lakota Zrelak, Tyler Harris and Nick Deckert," Falls coach Brian Shannon said.

Canton Division I Sectional Semifinal

Boardman 7, Hudson 1

The visiting Explorers were limited to four hits and lost their playoff opener. Boardman scored six unanswered runs after the fourth inning to advance. Jack Britton took the loss for Hudson allowing two runs in four innings.

Wadsworth 3, Lake 2

The Grizzlies improved to 16-5 this season with another regular season victory.

Matt Thompson led Wadsworth's offense with a single, a solo home run and two runs. Wadsworth's other key hitters were Aaron Keating (two singles, run, RBI); Ethan Green (two singles, RBI);

Noah Gromofsky, Finn Schmitt, Jon Byers and Ben Sigler combined to have 10 strikeouts and limit Lake to two runs, two hits, one walk and one hit by pitch.

— Compiled by Michael Beaven, Brad Bournival and Michael Leonard