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Clash of the softball titans on deck
Champion, South Range meet in Massillon
By charles grove
Once again, two of the area’s dominant softball teams will slug it out in Massillon on Wednesday in a regional semifinal.
Champion, the defending Division III state champions, and South Range, winners of three-straight district titles, will look to advance one step closer to state.
Since 2010, either one or the other has been in the regional tournament each year with the exception of 2013 when both teams lost in district-final match-ups.
The Raiders and Golden Flashes met in a 2011 regional semifinal, with Champion coming out on top 5-1 en route to its first of three state titles in five seasons.
With two of the heavy hitters of the Mahoning Valley consistently winning district titles, one would assume the teams would play an annual regular-season game. The two did play an indoor contest very early in the season, but South Range coach Jeff DeRose said he’d prefer not to show Champion his hand in a traditional outdoor game, allowing Champion to scout for a potential postseason match-up.
“We were waiting for this and we didn’t want to show them anything,” DeRose said. “A couple of years ago, we were playing Newton Falls, who we could’ve played in the tournament, and neither one of us threw our starting pitcher because we didn’t want the opposition to see anything.
“So we purposefully did not schedule Champion.”
The Raiders participated in a tune-up game Monday against Division I regional-qualifier Nordonia and won 19-6 in five innings, pounding out 22 hits.
When South Range played Nordonia a few weeks ago the Raiders squeaked out a 3-2 victory.
“It was a great tune-up,” DeRose said. “I told them if we hit Wednesday, we’re going to win.”
Despite all the district success, the Raiders have had difficulty getting over the regional hump. South Range last won a regional semifinal in 2010 and has fallen short in 2011, 2014 and 2015.
Champion has used up all their scrimmages the OHSAA allows, so the Golden Flashes haven’t played since winning their district title last Thursday. Between graduation and a lack of games, Champion has had some down time, but head coach Cheryl Weaver isn’t overly concerned.
“This is just kind of a dry period but it’s what happens,” Weaver said. “We ran into this last year, too.”
With numerous returners from last year’s state-championship team, Weaver said the thrill of the state tournament helps her team avoid complacency.
“I really do think [the experience] helps you,” Weaver said. “Not reaching state, once you’ve been there, would be very heartbreaking. Once you’ve been there all you want to do is go back.”
The Golden Flashes will send junior McKenzie Zigmont to the circle. She’s posting a 20-1 record in 23 appearances, 19 of which were complete games, and a 0.80 ERA.
South Range will start Caragyn Yanek, who allowed only one hit and zero runs in her four innings of work at Nordonia.