No Southwest Ohio team has won a D-I state crown since the Ohio High School Athletic Association went to divisions in 1990. The only Southwest Ohio team to win a big-school title was Hamilton (Class AAA) in 1985.
LAKOTA WEST STATE COVERAGE
» Cummins asks for release from Akron commitment
» State semifinal: Lakota West 2, Perrysburg 1
» West surging into state matchup with Perrysburg
» Looking back at West’s first three trips to state
“We’ll try not to center on that,” West coach Keith Castner said. “I hope the girls don’t know much about that because I don’t want to put any more pressure on them. From what I can see, they’re just excited and ready to go.”
The Firebirds knocked off Perrysburg 2-1 in eight innings Thursday, thanks to an eighth-inning home run by senior shortstop Allie Cummins.
Perry followed that with a 12-3 beating of Ashville Teays Valley as junior catcher Gia Durieux smacked three of the Panthers’ four home runs.
Durieux had three homers this season before becoming the first player in state tournament history (in all divisions) to launch three in one game.
“I just couldn’t believe it, honestly,” Durieux said. “I felt very comfortable and just relaxed. That was it. I didn’t try too hard.”
“I’ll say this about Gia,” Perry coach Scott Daugherty said. “Her attitude and the focus she’s had for the last month led to a moment like (this). With the magnitude of the game and the size of the crowd and our community there, when you put all that together, that was really cool to watch.”
Federal League champion PHS and Greater Miami Conference runner-up West are both making their fourth state appearance. The Panthers were state champions in 2010.
“They hit the heck out of the ball,” Castner said. “They’re pretty aggressive, they hit the ball hard, and they make you make plays. Hopefully we do the same.”
Perry’s top hitters are senior left fielder Sunshine Armstrong (.423), Durieux (.406) and senior second baseman Riley Lesh (.380). Sophomore third baseman Alycia Cunningham and Durieux lead the squad in RBIs with 28 and 27, respectively.
The Panthers have hit 34 home runs as a team.
LAKOTA WEST REGIONAL COVERAGE
» Regional semifinal: Lakota West 9, Mason 3
» It’s West vs. Lebanon with regional title on the line
» Betz leads GMC in RBIs as West prepares for regional
Perry hadn’t given up a run in the postseason until Teays Valley tied Thursday’s game at 2-2 with two runs in the bottom of the second inning.
“She’s gone over 50 innings … she hasn’t given up a run since April 29,” Daugherty said of Panthers junior pitcher Payton Gottshall. “So we’re talking over a month. When I started to digest that a little bit, it’s crazy. Statistically speaking and a very solid team with Teays Valley, you knew it was going to happen eventually.”
Gottshall, a right-hander, is 16-2 with a 0.84 earned run average, and she has 188 strikeouts in 116 innings. Castner compared her speed-wise to Middletown’s Carly Metcalf.
Senior righty Stephanie Maldonado is 21-2 with a 2.55 ERA for the Firebirds. She’s fanned 158 batters in 140 innings and said it’s a bittersweet feeling knowing that one way or the other, her prep career is about to end.
“I really hope it’s a sweet one,” Maldonado said. “I am very confident in our team that we have what it takes.”
Cummins, who leads West with a .581 batting average and has a program-best 26 career home runs, said the Firebirds have gotten this far with a relaxed attitude.
“Something that’s really worked for us is making sure that we’re all having fun,” Cummins said. “Before the game, we dance in the dugout. You see it before innings … we’re dancing to songs that come on. As long as we’re relaxed and having fun, then we’ll play our game and hopefully come out on top.”
Senior center fielder Lauren Betz (52) and Cummins (43) are leading West in RBIs. Daugherty watched the Firebirds for a couple innings Thursday and came away impressed.
“What I noticed about Lakota West is they’re playing with a ton of confidence,” he said. “You don’t get this far without playing well. I know they’ve really turned it on.
“It’s going to be a tough challenge. Physically, we’re playing really well. We’ve just got to get ourselves back in the zone mentally.”
Here are all the state scores for these two programs:
Massillon Perry
• 1988: Lost to Sidney 5-3
• 2003: Lost to Gahanna Lincoln 1-0
• 2010: Defeated Holland Springfield 5-0, defeated Grove City 10-0 (state final)
• 2018: Defeated Ashville Teays Valley 12-3
Lakota West
• 2005: Lost to Uniontown Lake 4-3
• 2006: Lost to North Canton Hoover 4-0
• 2011: Lost to Gahanna Lincoln 9-6
• 2018: Defeated Perrysburg 2-1 (eight innings)
About the Author