Lakota West is the first Greater Cincinnati softball team to win an Ohio High School Athletic Association state title since Williamsburg won the Division IV state championship in 2017.
The Firebirds started the game off strong with a two-run home run from senior pitcher KK Mathis in the first inning, and the team never let up that lead.
The final out and celebration for @westfirebirds. pic.twitter.com/yWuLZT1haH
— Mike Dyer (@MikeDyer) June 4, 2022
“We’re state champs for Ohio,” said Lakota West coach Keith Castner. “First time in 35 years (for a Southwest Ohio Division I team). It means the world to me. But, it’s not about me. It’s about these girls. They know it. They worked hard.”
The Lakota West softball team is the 14th Southwest District softball team to appear in the OHSAA large-shool division (Division I/Class AAA) state softball championship game since 1988. Hamilton was the most recent Southwest District large-school division program to win a softball title when it was victorious in the Class AAA final in 1985.
The Firebirds (28-4) won 16 consecutive games in the 2022 season, and they made their sixth Division I state softball tournament appearance in program history this spring. This was also their second state final appearance, with the Firebirds earning state runner-ups in 2018.
In their 13-5 state semifinal win over North Canton Hoover on Thursday, Lakota West scored 12 unanswered runs.
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