Lebanon softball ready for Division I state semifinal
Lebanon's fast-pitch softball team enters its Division I state semifinal against North Canton Hoover ranked fifth in the CBS MaxPreps national softball poll and first in the final Ohio coaches' poll, but those aren't the only reasons the Warriors feel good about Thursday's 3 p.m. game at Akron's Firestone Stadium.
They snapped Hoover's 51-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory earlier this season.
"Once we beat them once, we knew that it's possible," Lebanon senior shortstop Sam Showalter said. "We know that we can hang with them and we're a good team, too. I'm excited to play them. I think we can beat them again."
Hoover coach Jerry Goodpasture has led the powerhouse program to three consecutive state titles including a 2012 championship victory over Lebanon. Several of the Vikings that played in the 2-0 win, like 2013 Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year Jenna Lilley and pitching ace Tara Thacker, remain in the starting lineup.
Pitcher Tara Trainer and Showalter are among eight Warriors that also competed in that game. Lebanon lost in the 2013 regional finals but is 32-0 heading into the state semifinal against a Hoover team (27-3) vying to match Akron Springfield's state-record mark of four straight titles.
The Vikings this season have proven to be beatable, and not just by Lebanon. Bloom Carroll, the No. 1 team in the final Division III state poll, and Holland Springfield, ranked sixth in the Division I poll, also defeated Hoover.
"We have a rough schedule and we didn't expect to go through the season undefeated," Goodpasture said. "Our pitching has been good and our defense has been good. We had a little team slump for a while but we picked it up the last couple ball games, and we're optimistic going into the state tournament."
Northern Illinois bound right-hander Thacker (23-3) enters the semifinal with a 0.67 ERA. She pitched a perfect game in a 9-0 rout of Mentor in the regional semifinals, fanning 14 along the way.
And then there's Oregon signee Lilley, a shortstop that hit close to .700 last season. Although opponents this season have walked her 26 times, she still has amassed 34 RBI.
Lebanon walked Lilley in two of three at-bats in its April 12 victory over Hoover in the Wendy's Spring Classic in Ashland.
"She's an outstanding hitter. You have to be very, very careful with her," Warriors coach Brian Kindell said. "With one swing of the bat, she's a game changer. She's the best hitter we've seen in the state of Ohio this year."
Indiana recruit Trainer retired 12 in that victory and has been remarkable all season, boasting a 19-0 record, a 0.24 ERA and 252 strikeouts. Lebanon's defense has not allowed an opponent more than three runs in any game and its offense has been consistently efficient.
Kim Frank leads the way with a .459 batting average, followed by Kayla Frank (.443) and Kaitlyn Bergman (.419). Bergman has recorded a team-high 39 RBI. Showalter has amassed 37.
Kindell said it will require a "very, very good" effort to upend Hoover again, and that's just one piece of the puzzle. The winner must face Elyria (23-7) or Grove City (25-6) in Saturday's 1 p.m. state championship.
"Our history with Hoover the last two years makes for a great storyline, but whoever wins is still going to have to win another game to accomplish their goals," Kindell said. "And that will be no easy task with the other two teams there."