AKRON, Ohio — It was a thrilling game that truly went down to the last pitch, and it ended with a moment that is sure to live on in Ohio high school softball lore.
Strasburg-Franklin hung on to beat Lincolnview 3-2 Saturday at Firestone Stadium to win the OHSAA Division IV state softball championship. The Tigers led 3-0 after six innings and appeared to be cruising to victory, until the Lancers made things very interesting in the final frame.
After retiring the first two batters in the seventh, pitcher Amelia Spidell had Andi Webb down to her final strike, but eventually walked her. An error at shortstop by Emma Gilkerson kept the game going further before a Grace Brickner single made it 3-1, and with the throw going to home plate, suddenly Lincolnview (25-5) had the tying runs in scoring position.
Ashlyn Price came to bat next and blooped a single to center, scoring Zadria King and sending pinch runner Allie Miller around third to potentially even the score. It looked like disaster for Strasburg, but center fielder Maggie Richards fired home to catcher Sydney Sibila, who tagged out Miller and secured the championship for the Tigers.
The win gives Strasburg-Franklin (27-4) its eighth Ohio softball title and first since 2013. It was also the second triumph of the day for a Northeast Ohio team, as earlier Triway beat Jonathan Alder 2-1 in the D-II final.
