Second-seeded Troy (21-7) hosts No. 6 Beavercreek (17-10). The Trojans, ranked No. 16 in the coaches poll, had a 16-game winning streak that Fairmont snapped late in the season. Senior Connor Hutchinson led the Miami Valley League in hitting at .473. Senior Owen Harlamert had 31 RBIs and sophomore Hayden Frey had 30. Both batted .400. The team ERA is 1.96.
Third-seeded Vandalia Butler (22-6) hosts No. 4 Springboro. Butler, No. 12 in the coaches poll, won 3-2 at Springboro on April 22. Sophomore Hunter Richardson, who has committed to Kentucky as a pitcher, does it all for Butler. He’s 7-3 with a 1.06 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 53 innings. He leads the team with 23 RBIs and is batting .378. Shorstop A.J. Ewing, an Alabama commit, leads Springboro with 37 RBIs, four home runs and a .474 batting average.
The district finals are Thursday.
Division II baseball: Chaminade Julienne (23-5) is the top seed and hosts No. 9 Bellefontaine on Tuesday. The Eagles, ranked No. 7 in the coaches poll, are led by senior J.P. Peltier. He leads the GCL-Coed in RBIs with 31, is second in homers with four and second in batting average at .443. Jackson Frasure, a junior, has five homers, 28 RBIs and is hitting .379. He also leads the Eagles in innings pitched and is 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA.
In other games, No. 4 Tippecanoe plays at No. 2 Kenton Ridge, and No. 3 Bellbrook hosts No. 6 Franklin. The district finals are Thursday.
SOFTBALL
Division I: Miamisburg (22-4) and Lebanon (27-3) meet Wednesday in a rematch from earlier this season in a 2 p.m. semifinal at Mason. Miamisburg won 3-2 on April 7 on the strength of a three-hitter and two RBIs by sophomore Ryla Zehring. Lebanon was the top seed in the Dayton sectionals and Miamisburg was No. 2.
The winner faces the winner of Wednesday’s 5 p.m. semifinal between Milford and Fairfield at 5 p.m. Friday at Mason. Miamisburg defeated Milford 6-3 on April 8. Milford was the No. 3 seed and Fairfield the No. 2 in the Cincinnati sectionals.
Division II: Greenville (27-4) meets Cleves Taylor in a 2 p.m. semifinal Wednesday at Wright State. The Green Wave have won 18 straight are led by sophomore Zoey Burns, the team’s No. 1 pitcher and best hitter.
Burns is 15-3 with a 1.35 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 114 1/3 innings. She’s hitting .483 with 51 RBIs and three home runs.
The other semifinal is Kenton Ridge (22-6) against Marengo Highland at 5 p.m. KR beat Greenville 2-1 last year in the region semifinals before losing in the next round to state runner-up Jonathan Alder. The final is at 5 on Friday at Wright State.
Division III: Carlisle (23-0) continues its run at 2 p.m. Wednesday against Miami East (18-6) at Centerville. The Indians have won most of their games in blowouts and own wins over Division I region semifinalist Miamisburg (7-1) and Division II region semifinalists Cleves Taylor (3-1) and Kenton Ridge (6-2).
Carlisle junior Alaina Eldridge led the Southwestern Buckeye League in hitting at .602, was second in RBIs with 35 and third in homers with six. Junior pitcher Savannah brown led the league in ERA (1.05), wins (18) and strikeouts (142).
Indian Lake (23-3) and West Jefferson (18-1) meet in the second semifinal at 5. The final is Friday at 5 at Centerville.
Division IV: Covington faces Riverside in the first semifinal at 2 at Northmont, and Russia faces Parkway in the second at 5. Friday’s final is at 5 at Northmont.
Russia reached the final last year and lost to Bradford 3-1.
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