BUCYRUS — With cold, wet weather recently releasing its grip on north central Ohio, it’s hard to imagine that sectional softball tournaments begin next week.
Several games are on tap starting Monday, including two games involving local teams. All games begin at 5 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
In Division III, No. 12 Willard visits No. 8 Bucyrus. The Lady Red have improved from last year and carry an 8-10 record into the upper bracket of the Shelby district.
Head coach Jerry “Pudge” Hargis’ team has improved measurably in all areas from last season’s 3-13 mark.
“The new season is about to start. Let’s finish this up and then it’s zero-zero. Let’s go out there and see how good we have gotten this year,” he said.
The Lady Red match their 8-10 overall record with Willard, at 1-12, playing in the Sandusky Bay Conference’s Bay Division.
“I know little or nothing about Willard. I do know that if we win that game Huron is rated as the top team in the state of Ohio. Let’s go play the best. I’m looking forward to it. That’s what the tournament is for.”
Bucyrus pitcher Kendra Blizzard carries a 2.21 ERA and a 4-7 record in the circle. Marissa Middleton is hitting .333 with 2 home runs and 12 RBI.
Shortstop Addy Rister is hitting at a .412 clip with 6 RBI and 5 stolen bases.
Blizzard leads the team with 14 runs driven in and freshman Haylee Stratton has come along well hitting .341. Isabella Bruss has three triples and has two pitching victories.
The winner moves on to play No. 1 Huron at 5 p.m. on May 12 at Huron for a sectional title.
Meanwhile, No. 11 Western Reserve travels to No. 10 Galion. The Lady Tigers are 6-10 overall in the tough Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference with powerhouses River Valley, Ontario, and Shelby.
C.C. Campbell’s .486 batting average paces Galion, while Maddy Tinch and Elliott Fryman are carrying .378 averages. Madison Beck is 2-5 pitching.
The Western Reserve/Galion winner goes to No. 4 Upper Sandusky. The Lady Rams are 13-6 and tied for second in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference.
In the lower bracket, No. 9 Wynford is at No. 7 Milan Edison.
The Lady Royals are 6-11 but have played much better than that, losing several close N10 games.
Reese McGuire tops Wynford with a .474 batting average, 9 stolen bases and a steady glove at third base. McGuire and Briley Hildreth top the team with 12 RBI each.
Freshman hurler Rylee Robinson sports a 5-8 mark and has hit .321 with 9 RBI. She also has hit two round-trippers. Alexis Stevely hits .341 with 9 RBI. Mackenzie Jones has hit a team-high 6 doubles and is batting .278.
The winner of the Wynford/Edison game has the difficult task of taking on No. 2 Margaretta, a team that went deep into the post-season last year.
Colonel Crawford (14-7) took the third seed and earned a first-round bye. The Lady Eagles will take on the winner of Crestview/Clear Fork on May 12.
Hannah Allen is hitting .493 with 3 home runs and 35 RBI, tops in the N10. Rylie Hoepf (.463, 16 RBI) and Allison Weithman (.459, 16 RBI) also have had solid seasons.
Allen has 8 doubles and Nettie Gallant 7 two-baggers. Weithman leads the N10 with 21 stolen bases and is a solid fielding shortstop.
Sophomore pitcher Aubrey Zizzo is 9-5 after missing all last season. She has 66 strikeouts, 59 walks and an ERA of 3.47.
Zizzo recently threw a no-hitter in a 16-0 win over N10 rival Wynford. In that game Weithman delivered four hits.
Head coach Sarah Fraser said her club has improved during the season.
“We’re starting to be a bit more comfortable. At the beginning of the year, we were so terrified of making errors. We felt like we had to get a hit every time up. Now we are playing much better,” she said after a recent non-league win at River Valley.
Fraser credited Zizzo with her performance in the circle, noting she hadn’t played softball in about a year and a half.
“She’s really worked hard and has gotten better and better with each outing.”
She also has driven in 16 runs and is batting .290.
In Division IV’s upper bracket of the Galion district, No. 6 Buckeye Central hosts 10th-seed Mansfield Christian on Monday.
The Buckettes are 4-13 overall, fielding a young team with just four upperclassmen on the roster.
Grace Collene has 15 RBI and a .432 batting average, while Adrienne Jury has knocked in 10 runs and his hitting .370.
Collene, BC’s sophomore pitcher, has a 3.60 ERA with 72 strikeouts and 31 walks.
The winner travels to top seed Monroeville on May 11.
The lower bracket pits No. 7 Norwalk St. Paul at No. 5 Lucas and No. 8 Crestline at No. 4 Plymouth.
Brooklyn Gregory is a veteran pitcher for the Lady Bulldogs (4-7). Brooklyn Seargent has been a leading hitter, along with Lillian Higgins, Emma Kirby, and Maddie Engler.
No. 9 Seneca East also has a tough draw, visiting No. 2 New London. The Lady Tigers are 3-14.
Ella Martin is hitting .447 with 11 RBI to lead the team. She and Myah Geary have hit homers.
Martin is 3-8 in the circle with a 4.36 ERA.
Also on May 11 Mohawk, with a bye, faces the winner of Vanlue/New Riegel in Division IV’s New Riegel district.
The Lady Warriors are 9-7 after a 2022 season that took them to the regional semifinals.
Bailey Sheets, the reigning N10 Player of the Year, is hitting .543 with 4 HRs and 22 RBI.
She is 9-4 pitching with a 2.52 ERA, recording 105 strikeouts with 25 bases on balls.
Allison Russell at .333 and Josie Granata at .306 are also threats at the plate.
Alysen Young is hitting .467 with a home run and 9 RBI. Aley Schock has three triples for Mohawk.
All individual statistics are through April 30. Team records are through May 6.