Greenville softball seeks fourth state berth Saturday

Greenville senior catcher Alli Hill told coach Jerrod Newland recently she had never hit a home run. She had hit the yellow line on the top of the fence. That’s as close as she got. That’s as close as anyone can get.

In a Division II regional semifinal Wednesday, Hill found the extra distance. Her three-run home run in the sixth inning helped the third-ranked Lady Wave beat No. 6 Clinton-Massie 14-4 by run rule in six innings.

“On the 1-1 pitch, she just missed the rise ball,” Newland said. “My coaches said, ‘Why’s she swinging at it?’ The next pitch is over the fence.”

The blast to center meant even more to Hill because her parents, Cindi and Ronnie Hill, were watching from behind the fence in left field. The family has been through a lot in recent years.

Ronnie had a heart attack two years ago, Newland said. Cindi has been battling breast cancer since last August. Seeing her daughter hit her first home run left Cindi in tears.

“Mom was pretty emotional,” Alli said. “She was crying.”

The 14-run game was nothing new for Greenville (28-3). It has scored 10 or more runs in 22 games. It set a school record for runs scored: 353 and counting.

This victory sends Greenville to the regional final for the third season in a row. It will play No. 9 Jonathan Alder at noon Saturday at Mason. Alder beat No. 8 Shawnee 11-2 Wednesday.

Greenville won the state title in 2007, made the final four in 2010 and lost in the state final in 2012. Last season, the Lady Wave lost 4-0 to Hamilton Ross in the regional final. In 2015, they lost 7-1 to Granville.

“We stubbed our toes a couple years straight,” Newland said. “At the beginning of the year, the motto was, ‘We’re going to win at Mason.’ The bull’s-eye is on our back, but we’re going to Akron. It’s Akron or bust. That’s what we’ve said all year. I can’t wait until Saturday.”

Lebanon 14, Lakota West 13: Ashley West's two-out, two-run single capped a five-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning for the Warriors in a D-I regional semi at Centerville. Lebanon (28-3) trailed 8-0 in the second inning. Molly Osborne had a three-run homer for Lebanon and scored three runs. Lebanon will return to Centerville to meet Mason (26-3) in a D-I regional final at noon on Saturday.

Northwestern 7, Badin 0: Aided by Bry White's home run and Jenna Robbins' one-hitter, the Warriors won a D-III regional semi at Wright State University. Robbins (18-0) allowed just one hit, struck out seven and walked two to shut down the Rams (26-3). Northwestern (26-2) will play Columbus Ready in Saturday's D-III regional final at noon.

Col. Ready 4, West Liberty-Salem 2: The Tigers' rally came up short in the top of the seventh with one runner thrown out at home and another stranded on third to end the game. Trailing 2-0, West Liberty Salem answered in the top of the second with junior Dierdre McGill's two-run double to score senior Kelby Strapp and sophomore Hallie Strapp. Ready added another run in the bottom of the second and went up 4-2 in the fifth.

Mason 13, Springboro 0: Greater Miami Conference heavyweight Mason (26-3) extended another deep postseason run by snapping Springboro's five-game win streak in the other D-I regional semi at Centerville.

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