Smith’s arm, bat lead Champion

Champion v. Northwestern Division III Regional Softball Final

Gallery

By TOM WILLIAMS

williams@vindy.com

MASSILLON

Behind junior Allison Smith’s strong arm and explosive bat, the Champion High School softball team earned its third consecutive state tournament trip for the first time in school history.

Smith, who has verbally committed to Ohio State, tossed a two-hitter in Saturday’s 3-0 victory over West Salem Northwestern (20-7) at Massillon High School’s ballpark across from Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

“Allison has been doing it all year for us and she showed it today,” said Champion head coach Cheryl Weaver, who has delivered Division III state crowns in five of the previous seven seasons.

The Golden Flashes (28-2) are two-time defending champions and will play Byesville Meadowbrook at 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Akron’s Firestone Stadium.

On the mound, Smith (15-0) struck out 16 Huskies and walked one. She carried a perfect game into the sixth inning before Emma Ewing’s bunt single produced the Huskies’ first baserunner.

At the plate, Smith contributed three extra-base hits — a lead-off double to start the game and solo homers to deep center field in the third and fifth innings.

“That was a nice feeling,” said Smith of facing pitches. “It was good to see the ball again. I think we’re at 31 [intentional] walks this year.”

Smith said she has 18 homers this season and 52 for her career.

“It hit the right part of the bat,” Smith said of the pitch from Brianna Shearer in the third inning. “[She] had a really good off-speed [pitch].

“Being a pitcher, it was easier for me to identify the off-speed — her changeup and her off-speed were two of her best pitches. Her curveball was good, too.

“She is a really good pitcher,” said Smith, who shares pitching with classmate Sophie Howell (13-2). “If you hold the Champion Flashes to three runs, you’re doing something right.”

Two at-bats after Smith’s first homer, sophomore Cassidy Shaffer hit a line-drive over the left-field fence for a 2-0 lead.

“In my first at-bat, she was throwing a lot of outside stuff and off-speed,” Shaffer said, “so I was looking for [more].

“I’m very excited, I can’t even [find] words to explain,” Shaffer said of returning to state.

Gabby Hollenbaugh’s fourth-inning single was Champion’s only other hit.

Weaver was impressed with Shearer.

“The way she changed speeds and used that outside, she did a wonderful job,” Weaver said.

In 20 seasons as head coach, Weaver’s teams have qualified for eight trips to state. They won titles in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2018.

“These girls, they just did such a tremendous job,” Weaver said. “I’m so proud of them.

“We came out a little flat — they’ve been hitting the ball so well then you come across a pitcher who does a wonderful job against you, it keeps you off-balance.

“We got the hits when we needed them,” she said.

The showdown had interesting moments. Shearer and Smith were told by home plate umpire Brian Harrell that they could not hide the ball while looking at their catcher for the sign. The penalty for each was a ball in favor of the batter.

“Never,” Smith said of seeing that call. “We looked in the rulebook. There is no rule that’s says that you have to take the sign from the catcher with the ball presented.”

In the fourth inning, Harrell gave Northwestern head coach Scott Hershey a “restricted” penalty limiting him to the dugout after questioning a called third strike.

Asked if she could imagine Weaver getting assessed such a warning, Smith laughed.

“Coach Weaver is such a [classy] coach,” Smith said, then adding that “if she’s arguing [passionately], it’s something really bad.”