Champion High softball still unbeaten

By Tom Williams

williams@vindy.com

MASSILLON

Haley McAllister’s two-run homer and key defensive plays by shortstop Tawny Rogers has the undefeated Champion High softball team one win away from a third trip to state in eight seasons.

Lindsay Swipas scattered six hits Friday as the Flashes eliminated South Range, 5-1, in a Division III regional semifinal field.

Today at noon, Champion (24-0) will play Norwayne for a berth in next week’s state tournament at Firestone Stadium in Akron.

“This feels amazing, especially to go farther than last year,” McAllister said.

A year ago, Champion lost the regional semifinal to Hillsdale which then defeated South Range in the regional final.

Sierra Blackson’s three hits included a RBI single in the fifth inning that drove home Angell Hohvart with the winning run.

McAllister scored three of Champion’s runs. She drew a leadoff walk against Madison Yanek to start the game and scored on Rogers’ double down the left-field line.

“She just gave me a meatball,” said Rogers who added that she’s friends with Yanek. “I was deep in the count. Really, I knew that that was coming.

“Getting that lead took a lot of stress off, helped us relax,” Rogers said.

In the fifth inning, McAllister scored on Brooke Culler’s sacrifice fly to center field, just beating Carly DeRose’s throw to catcher Kristin Robinson for a 3-1 lead.

An inning later, her two-run homer off DeRose, who had relieved Yanek, scored Taylor Petersal with Champion’s final runs.

“I knew I just needed to put the ball in play and make something happen,” said McAllister of her fifth homer of the season.

“South Range is a very good team and Tawny Rogers made two excellent plays at shortstop, you can’t ask for more than that,” Champion coach Cheryl Weaver said. “If we want to move on, that’s what we’ve got to do.”

In the third inning with the Flashes ahead 1-0 and Morgan Renforth on third base with one out, Rogers fielded a sharply hit ball by Robinson. She fired a strike to first baseman Alison Sorber, who relayed to catcher Petersal in time to tag Renforth for a double play.

An inning later, Rogers dove to make a sliding catch of a line drive by Yanek. That out proved crucial because the Raiders followed with doubles by Darrian Yanek and Gab Naples to tie the game.

South Range coach Don Feren said Swipas was effective.

“She has a nice riseball and early on we didn’t stay off of it,” Feren said.