Booker is the second St. V-M junior to give Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer a commitment recently, following junior running back Parris Campbell Jr.

“It is a great opportunity,” Booker said. “I am excited to get the chance to play with Parris in college. It feels great to make the decision and I look forward to playing my senior year of high school.”

Booker, 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, and Campbell helped St. V-M win the Division III state football championship in 2012, and both played on the Fighting Irish boys basketball team that was the Division II state runner-up in 2013.

Booker, 17, said he also “seriously looked at Notre Dame” and received approximately 14 scholarship offers from Division I colleges.

“Obviously, you are talking about a great university in Ohio State,” St. V-M coach Dan Boarman said. “It is a great place to go to school and a great place to play football. I think it comes down to there wasn’t a bad choice for Dante. He had several options, and they were all good options.”

Booker is ranked the eighth-best outside linebacker in the country, and he is ranked third in the state of Ohio.

He had 157 tackles, 11 sacks and three fumble recoveries as a sophomore. He made 81 tackles and had nine sacks, dealing with injuries last season.

Booker said the Buckeyes recruited him to play outside linebacker. He is the ninth OSU recruit for the class of 2014. He and Campbell join guard Marcelys Jones, offensive tackle Kyle Trout, cornerback Damon Webb, linebacker Kyle Berger, athlete Sam Hubbard, defensive end Dylan Thompson and wide receiver Lonnie Johnson.

Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the high school blog at http://www.ohio.com/preps. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MBeavenABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

Eventually, those numbers wore down a game Field team and carried Walsh to a 4-2 victory and the championship of the Akron Division II district Thursday at Firestone Stadium.

The Warriors stranded six base-runners through three innings and found themselves in a 1-1 tie on an unseasonably cool day as gusty winds swirled and spectators shivered at Firestone Stadium.

“It doesn’t faze us at all,” said senior Lexi Noonan, who singled in all three at-bats and scored two runs. “We were stone-faced the entire time. We all know that we can do it. We’ve just got to wait for the right time and someone will come through. We trust each other enough to know that someone will come through.”

Walsh’s clutch hitting came alive with a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth, and sophomore right-hander Taylor Rahach (17-5) pitched a four-hitter with 10 strikeouts as the Warriors advanced to a regional semifinal against the winner of Geneva and Chardon Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin at 5 p.m. Thursday at Firestone Stadium.

It is the second district title for Walsh (24-5) in three years, and also the second for this year’s seniors, including Cori Anter, who got a big two-run double in the fifth.

Walsh went ahead 2-1 in the fourth when senior Jackie Ammar’s sacrifice fly scored senior Sophia Simone.

In the fifth, sophomore Riley Ries and Noonan singled to start the inning. Anter then drilled a liner to center that rolled to the fence and provided a 4-1 lead.

“I’d already been walked two times,” Anter said. “So I was thinking to look for the pitch, and the pitch before that I had turned my head off of it. I was just concentrating on keeping my eyes on the ball. Hands inside of the ball, and I did it.”

Anter said the pitch was a change-up.

“It was probably the first one I’ve hit all season,” she said with a laugh. “So that was sweet. That really felt good.”

But Field (23-4) would not go quietly.

Field’s Kerrie Trautman walked and Xzandria McKinley singled to start the sixth. That prompted a visit to Rahach from her coach.

“I just tried to slow her down,” Davis said. “Slow way down and enjoy. I mean that’s our thing. We never say here ‘you have to,’ or ‘you can’t.’ We never say that. It’s just fun.”

Rahach then got a fielder’s choice grounder and a strikeout, though a dropped fly ball enabled McKinley to score and make it 4-2. But Rahach ended the inning with a strikeout and retired the Falcons in order in the seventh.

“It was just time to take some time off,” said Rahach of the mound visit. “Just to breath, just to settle me down. I was real anxious, nervous.”

It was a disappointing finish for Field, which captured the Portage Trail Conference Metro Division with two wins earlier this week as well as the district semifinal 1-0 over Tallmadge on Wednesday.

Morgan Peachey had two singles for Field.

“They battled,” Field coach Beth Dyer said. “We knew we were going up against a good team and we were going to have play good ball. Probably not the best game of our week, but we hung in there. They didn’t give up.

“We’ve had a big week. This is the biggest week of the season for us. They did an excellent job. We couldn’t be more proud of the kids.”

Read the high school blog at http://www.ohio.com/preps.

His hiring was approved by school board members on Wednesday night.

Whitmer began his coaching career in 1978 at Mogadore and has since coached at Tallmadge, Jackson and Twinsburg.

He also served as the coach for the Tri-County All-star teams.

Whitmer has been a part of nine sectional, four district and two regional championships along with two final four teams.

“I look forward to get going here and enjoy winning probably as much as you do,” Whitmer said at the meeting. “That’s the goal.”

Whitmer was an assistant at Twinsburg when the Tigers won Division I state championships in 2011 and 2012 and were state runner-up in 2013.

— Staff report

What happened was decidedly better. Just a few seconds after the ball spun in the dirt a few feet in front of home plate, the Falcons could call themselves district champions with a 2-1 win over Springfield on Thursday.

Spartans (25-5) senior first baseman Sarah Stubbs fielded the bunt and hesitated for a second before deciding to attempt to throw out lead runner Mikayla Fowler at second base.

The throw skipped under the glove of the second baseman and toward the center fielder, who also had trouble handling the slick ball in the cold rain.

“When I saw it went through her feet I was like ‘I’m going for it. All-in, right now,’ ” Fowler said.

Fowler never looked back and scored from first base on the sacrifice attempt, getting mobbed at home plate after scoring the winning run.

“Before I got on deck, Katie [Vogelsong] said ‘Me and you, we’re going to win this,’ ” Fowler said.

And that’s just what they did.

“We knew it was going to be a dogfight,” Fairless coach Carrie Reynell said. “They’re a solid defensive team. But 11 innings in, someone is bound to make an error and we were fortunate to capitalize on it.”

Sophomore starting pitcher Kelly Hysong had the game of her life for the Falcons (24-4), improving to 19-4 by holding the Spartans to just one run on seven hits with 15 strikeouts in 11 innings.

She threw 164 pitches.

“She came up huge,” Reynell said. “She dug down deep and found something extra today.”

Springfield had the go-ahead run on third base in the fourth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings. Hysong did not let those runners cross the plate, and she ended the fourth and seventh with a strikeout.

“I just told myself ‘You need to do this for the team,’ ” Hysong said. “I tried to keep it out of the zone so if they did hit it, it was a fieldable ball.”

Hysong, the leadoff hitter, also scored the Falcons’ other run in the first inning. That kept them in the game for the following 10 innings.

She started the game off with a single, then stole second and was knocked in on a single by Fowler.

Springfield struck back to tie the score in the third inning when sophomore Deanna Cole tripled and scored on a squeeze by junior Kassy Flores.

The score remained tied 1-1 for the next eight innings, which included a short rain delay, darkness and a temperature drop of more than 20 degrees from the opening pitch.

The game lasted more than three hours.

“We’ve tried to work hard since the beginning of the year in keeping the mentality strong,” Reynell said. “When you get late into tournaments, that’s really what it’s about.”

Spartans senior standout Quartni Whited struggled at the plate, going 0-for-5 with four strikeouts, but she didn’t let it affect her performance on the mound, throwing 11 innings but ultimately falling to 21-4 with the loss. She allowed two runs on four hits, struck out seven and walked one.

Fowler led the Falcons at the plate with two singles, an RBI and a run scored.

Cole paced the Spartans with a single, triple, stolen base and a run scored.

Fairless will play the Canfield-Poland Seminary winner at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Firestone Stadium in a regional semifinal.

Track and field

Salem Division II

Brian Hanshaw of Field set a meet record in the long jump with a mark of 21 feet, 7¾ inches to lead the Falcons to first place after the first day of the Salem Division II district meet.

Hanshaw broke the record of 21-7 set in 2004. Preston Semler of Field finished in second with a 21-6 mark in the long jump and Travonte Junius of St. Vincent-St. Mary took third in the event.

Logan Hull of Manchester finished third in the discus to lead the Panthers to second place.

Janessa Ridenour of North finished third in the high jump to lead the Vikings, and Brittni Porter of Manchester finished fourth in the event to lead the Panthers.

Ciera Trybend of Salem placed first in the shot put to lead the Quakers to a first-place finish. Shayna White of Southeast finished in second in the shot put, and the Pirates are tied for second after the first round.

Tennis

Division I district

Aaron Sandberg of Walsh Jesuit, Joey Thomas of Jackson and Jacob Dunbar of Cloverleaf all qualified for the state tournament and will play in semifinal matches of the Division I district tournament on Saturday at Oberlin.

Sandberg will play Thomas and Dunbar will play Nathan Griffin of Cleveland St. Ignatius in the semifinal matches. Steven Boslet of Hudson will play Jake Zalenski of Jackson for the chance to go to state and play in the fifth-place match on Saturday.

The top six in singles and doubles advance to the state tournament.

Rob DeMarco and Mike O’Connor of North Canton Hoover will play Andrew Ong and Jarad Pennington of Copley in a doubles semifinal match on Saturday.

Both duos have already advanced to the state tournament.

Austin Aten and Gavin Aten of Copley can advance to state with a win in the fifth-place match.

Booker is the second St. V-M junior to give OSU coach Urban Meyer a committment recently, following junior running back Parris Campbell Jr.

“It is a great opportunity,” Booker said. “I am excited to get the chance to play with Parris in college. It feels great to make the decision and I look forward to playing my senior year of high school."

Booker is 6-foot-3 and 215-pounds. He and Campbell helped St. V-M win the Division III state football championship in 2012 and both played on the Fighting Irish boys basketball team that was the Division II state runner-up in 2013.

Booker, 17, said he also “seriously looked at Notre Dame” and received approximately 14 scholarship offers from Division I colleges.

“Obviously, you are talking about a great university in Ohio State,” St. V-M coach Dan Boarman said. “It is a great place to go to school and a great place to play football. I think it comes down to there wasn’t a bad choice for Dante. He had several options, and they were all good options.”

Booker said the Buckeyes recruited him to play outside linebacker. He is the ninth OSU recruit for the class of 2014. He and Campbell join guard Marcelys Jones, offensive tackle Kyle Trout, cornerback Damon Webb, linebacker Kyle Berger, athlete Sam Hubbard, defensive end Dylan Thompson and wide receiver Lonnie Johnson.

Austintown Div. I district

Austintown-Fitch boys are leading after four events and Boardman tops the girls side through three.

Billy Price took second in the discus throw, setting what would have been a new meet record with a throw of 190-03, but Anthony Wilks of Marlington topped his throw with a distance of 190-07.

Both marks shattered the previous record of 182-05 set by Boardman’s Corey Linsley in 2009.

North Canton Div. I district

North Canton Hoover leads both the boys and girls through four and three events, respectively.

The girls 3,200 meter relay team of Ashley Hinderer, Tiffany Bentler, Colleen Bentler and Taylor Cropper won with a time of 9:33.66.

Taking top honors for the boys was Xavier Hogan in the long jump with a distance of 21-09.

Amherst Div. I district

Medina leads both the boys and the girls through four and three events, respectively.

Mike Hierholzer won the boys discus with a throw of 174-09

The girls 3,200 meter relay team of Alexis Smith, Maria Scavuzzo, Kimmy Vidika and Sarah Pack won with a time of 9:30.63.

Norwayne Div. III district

Rootstown and Smithville hold the top two spots through six events for both genders. Rootstown leads the boys and Smithville the girls.

David Paliscak won two events for the Rootstown boys, taking the shot put (59-05) and discus throw (153-00).

Alex Bates won the long jump for Smithville boys with a jump of 20-09.

Winning events for the Rootstown girls were freshman Courtney Brown in the high jump (5-02), Dawn Freeland in the shot put (40-08).

Taking events for the Smithville girls were Danielle Besancon in the pole vault (10-03) and Kaitlyn Hostetler in the long jump (17-01.5).

Softball

North Canton Hoover 5,
Louisville 1

Junior Tara Thacker struck out 10 to improve to 18-0 as the Vikings stayed perfect at 30-0.

Freshman Andi Farrah led Hoover at the plate with two singles, a double, three runs and an RBI.

Medina 8, Brunswick 2

Megan Paradise improved to 18-5 and the Bees totaled 11 hits in a Barberton Division I district.

Lauren Peak and Jessie Holzman led the Bees with two singles each. Sami Holzman knocked in two with a double and scored a run.

Windham 11, Rootstown 0

Freshman Brittany Knight hit two home runs and and sophomore Karsyn Mullen added one for the host Bombers (20-7, 13-0 PTC-County).

Rahach, a Mantua resident, knew everyone on the Crestwood team and played with or against a majority of the players in recreational youth leagues.

“I was nervous, but I was excited at the same time to play them,” Rahach said. “I knew it would be a good game.”

Rahach brought her “A” game and struck out a season-high 16 batters to lead the Warriors to a 2-0 win in an Akron Division II district semifinal.

Field defeated Tallmadge 1-0 in the other semifinal with an unearned run in the sixth inning. Walsh (23-5) and Field (23-4) will meet in the district final at 6 p.m. today at Firestone Stadium.

Senior Leandra Griffin reached via an error and scored Field’s run following an infield single by senior Xzandria McKinley with two outs.

“It is a great feeling to be able to deliver the hit, especially since our team hasn’t made it this far in the past much,” McKinley said. “I am very excited.”

Field senior right-hander Kerrie Trautman and Tallmadge junior right-hander Kirsten Lightel engaged in a pitcher’s duel in the nightcap.

Senior Lexi Noonan provided all the offense Walsh needed with a single in the first inning that scored sophomore Lilli Piper and senior Jackie Ammar.

“It was an inside pitch,” Noonan said. “She was pitching us inside the whole game. You just have to wait on the ball an extra second. I was up in the box a little farther than the other at-bats and that helped.”

Rahach, a 5-foot-5 right-hander who is 16, retired the first eight batters she faced by strikeout. She only allowed walks to senior Heather Pahorsky and sophomore Holly Hoffman, and a single to junior Reanna Szarka.

“My rise ball was just rising up and they were swinging underneath it,” said Rahach, who also mixed in some curveballs. Walsh scorekeeper Bill Leslie said Rahach has 205 strikeouts in 125 innings.

“She won the game for us,” Walsh coach Bill Davis said. “That is her hometown. That is where she would have gone to high school had she not gone to Walsh. We are glad we have her. We made a couple of adjustments on her pitching two weeks ago. It seemed to really help her and she has bought in to it. We went out and played [Olentangy] Liberty, [North Canton] Hoover and Elyria. She has been doing real well.”

Walsh beat Liberty and Elyria, and lost to Hoover.

“I think our strength of schedule will help us,” Davis said. “I don’t think anybody sees the schedule we see.”

Trautman struck out six and allowed two hits for Field.

“Ever since I was little I learned to keep my composure no matter what the situation,” Trautman said. “Even with runners on base, I just do my thing and throw it where coach calls for it. That is what gets me through most games.”

Trautman said her screwball and curveball were “both working” Wednesday.

Lightel struck out 11, allowed three hits and also hit a single. Sophomore Joanna Catalano had Tallmadge’s other hit.

Field’s two other hits were by Justine Barnes (tripled) and Trautman (single).

“We have had a big week,” Field coach Beth Dyer said. “We wanted to play. Both pitchers did their thing. It was a pitcher-dominated game. We knew coming in that both pitchers were good. It was just about executing and who was going to make the most out of opportunities.”

Field won the outright Portage Trail Conference Metro Division championship this week with wins over Springfield and Coventry.

“This has been an awesome season,” Trautman said. “We have been the underdogs all year. No one expected us to be this good. Coming out and proving people wrong our senior year just makes us all real proud to be a Falcon.”

Walsh and Archbishop Hoban shared the North Coast League Blue Division title.

Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the high school blog at http://www.ohio.com/preps. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MBeavenABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

“We’re definitely on a mission,” said Sanner, the team’s third baseman and cleanup hitter. “Our slogan is FSOB – Firestone Or Bust.”

The Spartans (25-4) did break out the bats Wednesday, pounding 17 hits en route to a 12-2, six-inning victory over Northwest in a Navarre Division II district semifinal. Springfield will meet Fairless for the district title at 5 p.m. today at Fairless High School.

“We were really ready to play today,” seventh-year Springfield coach Roger Errington said. “We wanted to hit the ball and come out and show that we’re a good hitting team.”

Errington said his team came out flat Monday in a 2-1 loss to Field, which captured the Portage Trail Metro title by one game over Springfield.

There was no such repeat as the Spartans’ first four batters hit safely and scored, and after three innings it was 8-0.

“We can’t get comfortable,” said Stubbs, a Findlay recruit and the team’s first baseman. “We can’t get satisfied.”

Springfield ended the game in the bottom half of the sixth with five consecutive hits scoring four runs.

Sanner enjoyed a 4-for-4 day at the plate, with a double, two runs and two RBI. She has studied the state-championship path of Springfield’s 2005 team.

“We want the state tournament,” she said.

Senior Quartni Whited (21-3) earned the win for the Spartans.

In the second inning, Spartans catcher Kassy Flores smashed a one-hopper off the right leg of Northwest sophomore starting pitcher Erika Juersivich (10-5), who left with an injury. Junior Hannah Gordon came on in relief and also batted 2-for-3.

Junior second baseman Caitlyn Hamrick doubled to right-center and scored for the Indians (20-8).

“We showed a lot of heart,” first-year Northwest coach Stephanie Pound said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game going into it.”

Fairless 3, Manchester 2

Risky base running finally paid off for Fairless, and the Falcons defeated Manchester in the other Navarre Division II District softball semifinal.

With one out in the top of the seventh, and the score tied 2-2, Fairless sophomore Kelly Hysong lined a single to center and promptly stole second base.

When the ball skipped away from Manchester’s middle infielders, she popped up and started for third. An errant throw enabled her to score the decisive run.

“I just took off and ran, and was hoping I would make it,” said Hysong, who also limited the Panthers to four hits and picked up the win in the circle.

Fairless base runners had been cut down at home and at third earlier in the game, but Hysong’s gamble was rewarded and the Falcons will meet Springfield for the district title.

“Some of the aggressiveness was miscommunication, but fortunately the last one worked for us,” first-year Fairless coach Carrie Reynell said.

After each team had scored an unearned run, Fairless (23-4) took a 2-1 lead in the sixth on an RBI double by sophomore right fielder Olivia Loretto.

Manchester (21-7) equalized in the bottom of the sixth on junior pitcher Brooke Horning’s RBI single.

Hysong (18-4) struck out five and worked a 1-2-3 last of the seventh. She also belted a ball off the top of the center-field fence and it stayed in play for a double.

Hudson, baseball

Agra, a senior, tripled and stole home for the winning run in a 4-3 victory over Stow in a Division I sectional final.

Deanna Cole

Springfield, softball

Cole, a sophomore, broke the state record for stolen bases in a season with her 63rd stolen base of the season in a victory over East in a Division II sectional final.

Lexie Handley

St. Vincent-St. Mary, softball

Handley, a freshman, threw back-to-back no-hitters against Firestone and Norton and has 138 strikeouts in 77 innings pitched with an 0.81 ERA.

Riley Ries

Walsh Jesuit, softball

Ries, a sophomore, went 8-for-11 at the plate in four games, including two home runs, four runs scored and seven RBI.

Imani Scott

Firestone, track

Scott, a senior, was part of a school-record 1,600-
meter relay, was second in the 800, fourth in the high jump and part of a second-place 3,200-meter relay to help the Falcons win the City Series championship.

Note: Coaches and athletic directors are encouraged to nominate student-athletes for the High School Spotlight by noon on Mondays. Please email bjsports@thebeaconjournal.com with the athlete’s name, school, class, accomplishments for the week and a color picture (JPEG).

Twinsburg heads into its Hudson Division I district semifinal game at 4:30 p.m. today against Brunswick full of confidence after defeating Walsh for the second year in a row in a sectional final.

Seniors Nick Jaworski and Nick Medwetz each played starring roles in the Tigers’ 1-0 victory over the host Warriors on Friday.

Jaworski, a right-hander, tossed a complete-game shutout and also batted in Medwetz for the lone run. Medwetz hit a triple prior to scoring.

Twinsburg defeated visiting Copley 6-2 in a sectional semifinal May 16.

“We’ve just been playing well lately,” Twinsburg coach Donald R. Jones said. “We were 6-6 at one point this season and now we are 20-9 going into the game with Brunswick.”

Senior Jalen Washington hit a solo home run and a two-run double for Twinsburg in the game against Copley.

Jones said other consistent players have been seniors Cooper Rea, Dylan Gugliotta, Brady Haba and Ed Govang, junior Dan McMullen and sophomore Mitch Eglar.

Twinsburg defeated host Walsh 9-1 last year.

Hudson and Highland will play in the other district semifinal after Twinsburg and Brunswick complete their game.

Hit No. 4 is a home run

Buckeye senior Tom Metheney entered last week with three hits in 15 at-bats this season. His primary role is to play first base as a defensive replacement late in games.

Metheney’s fourth hit of the season turned into a memorable one when he smacked a solo walk-off home run in the seventh inning to lift the host Bucks over St. Vincent-St. Mary 8-7 in an Akron Division II sectional final. It was Metheney’s first home run at any level of baseball.

Archbishop Hoban defeated Buckeye in a district semifinal Monday at Summit Lake Park’s George Sisler Field.

Hoban’s hot-hitting Cain

Senior center fielder Aaron Cain is putting together an impressive season as Archbishop Hoban’s leadoff hitter.

Cain helped the Knights win the Akron Division II District title by going 1-for-3 against Buckeye and 2-for-3 against Tallmadge. Between the two games, he hit three singles, was hit by a pitch, walked once, scored twice and played flawlessly defensively.

Cain has 48 hits in 94 at-bats this season for a .511 batting average with 35 runs and 14 RBI.

He played with his older brother, Kerrigan Cain, on the 2011 Hoban team that was the Division II state runner-up. Kerrigan Cain posted a .522 batting average as a senior with 48 RBI, 29 runs, 13 doubles, three triples, three home runs and 12 stolen bases. He is a sophomore on the Case Western Reserve University baseball team.

Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the high school blog at http://www.ohio.com/preps. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MBeavenABJ.

Senior catcher Tom Lehman played the role of hero and the Falcons gained a split of their two-game series with Ellet — and a share of the regular-season crown — holding on for an 8-6 victory Wednesday at Ellet.

That sets up Firestone (14-14, 11-1) and Ellet (18-9, 11-1) for the deciding game at 2 p.m. June 1 at Canal Park in the City Series championship.

“We played a little bit better baseball today,” Firestone coach Aaron DeBord said, “when we go out there and play defense. We executed our bunts. We got our guys over when we needed to today.

“And we had a great game out of Tom Lehman, our senior captain. He hit the ball, he got the close for us at the end. He really got the job done.”

A five-run fifth inning gave Firestone (14-14) a seemingly safe 7-1 lead but the host
Orangemen fought back to within one after six innings before the Falcons added another run in the top of the seventh.

Then Lehman, who led the Falcons with four runs batted in, took to the mound and assumed the role of closer, pitching a perfect inning to nail down the win.

DeBord said it was the first save situation for the Falcons all season.

“After the bottom of the sixth, [DeBord] came in and requested it and I said ‘Yeah, I’m ready to go,’ ” said Lehman. “Awesome way to finish the game.”

Lehman gave his team an immediate lift, smacking a two-run home run in the first inning. He also capped the two-out rally in the fifth with a two-run single.

Lehman said the homer, over the fence just to the left of the 360-foot sign in left center, was his first of the season.

“Fastball, think it was low and inside,” he said. “I don’t know. It just felt great.”

It was sweet revenge after Ellet defeated the Falcons 12-3 at Firestone two days earlier.

“That was definitely a very tough loss on Monday,” Lehman said. “But the great thing about baseball is you get another shot two days later. We’re just starting to get ready for June 1. That’s the one we’re aiming toward now.”

Ellet cut the lead to 2-1 on Andrew Myers’ run-scoring double in the first. And it stayed that way until the fifth, though both teams stranded numerous runners as Myers (6-2) and Firestone winning pitcher Rob Hart (3-2) constantly worked out of trouble.

With two outs in the fifth, Firestone’s Jacob Eberly, Kody Von Stein and Hart all singled for one run, Damien Goosetree and Corbin White both walked and Tyler Edgerson was hit by a pitch to force in another.

Lehman’s single to right center drove in two more to make it 7-1.

“Everything we did wrong, we can correct,” Sarver said. “That’s the fun thing about getting to play a championship game. Now we’ll see who wants it the most and who’s willing to pay the price to win it.”

In the Ellet fifth, two walks, a single by Russell Kline and an error led to one run. Myers’ sacrifice fly and Cory Campano’s groundout scored two more.

An error, Andrew Knicely’s double and Kline’s two-run single made it 7-6 in the sixth. The Falcons added insurance when Eberly, a senior shortstop, was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Read the high school blog at http://www.ohio.com/preps.

Quality pitching, check.

Timely hitting, check.

Terrific defense, check.

Add it up, and it was no wonder Hoban coach Jim Diestel was smiling as he talked with his staff after an 8-1 victory in the Akron Division II district championship Tuesday at Summit Lake Park’s George Sisler Field.

Tallmadge (14-13) scored first with a run in the fourth inning, but Hoban (18-10) responded with eight runs. Hoban will play Chardon Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin in a regional semifinal at 5 p.m. May 30 at Hudson. Hoban beat NDCL twice in the regular season.

“We have been looking forward to this day since we lost last year to Tallmadge in this game,” Hoban senior Cody Hargett said. “We came into this season with the goal to make it here and further. We put the work in. We wanted to win this game and move on.”

Senior Sean Trexler hit a two-run single in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie and put the Knights ahead for good. Hargett capped the scoring with a two-run single in the sixth inning.

“They were throwing me a lot of curve balls, so I just stayed back and took the ball to right field and drove in a couple of runs,” Trexler said of his hit that scored freshman Tyler Canova and senior Aaron Cain. Canova was running for senior Tony Guerriero, who had singled.

Hargett’s single scored junior Brennen Bell and Canova. The Knights also got a diving catch by senior right fielder Adam Gray in the fifth inning to quell a rally, and a game-ending double play with the bases loaded that involved Trexler at shortstop and senior Austin Farber at third base.

“Towards the end of the season, we finally got [senior catcher] Anthony Osmun back [from an injury],” Hoban coach Jim Diestel said. “When you get someone like that back who really leads vocally and pulls everyone together, then all of the other guys want to play that hard as well. Gray was a game-changer at that moment in the fifth. Trexler’s play on the ball up the middle when they scored their run changed that inning from them having a chance to score two and a bunch more, to they got one and now there are two outs and we shut the door. The double play at the end was nice. On the bench we were all sitting there saying ‘Just throw strikes. Make them hit the ball.’ We have been exceptionally good defense the last half of the season. As soon as Osmun came back, that has changed the dynamics on the field.”

Senior Scott Noel doubled and scored Tallmadge’s run in the fourth. A sacrifice bunt by senior Zach Skraba and a groundout by sophomore John Rensel scored Noel.

Hoban tied the score at 1-1 in the fourth when sophomore Jordan Burns knocked in Trexler.

The Knights scored five runs in the fifth to take control. Trexler’s two-run single made it 3-1. A squeeze by senior Austin Farber scored Hargett, Burns singled in Trexler and senior Adam Gray doubled in Burns.

Senior right-hander Drew Lakos earned the win for Hoban by pitching 6⅓ innings. He limited Tallmadge to one run and five hits.

“I wanted to go all seven and get the complete game, but I was way over my maximum amount of pitches,” Lakos said. “[Sophomore] Dom Hinton came in and closed it out. That double play held them to one run and was pretty crazy. It is obviously a nice feeling since last year we lost to them in the same spot. We were the ones coming up short. As a sophomore, being on the team that won the district title and was state runner-up was great. It is nice to be back in this position and going to the regional.”

Gray’s over-the-shoulder diving catch was the second out in Tallmadge’s fifth. They had two runners on who were then stranded when Lakos struck out a batter.

“I believe that if the ball gets over his head in right field than we are holding that gold,” Tallmadge coach Kenny Linn said. “That was a heck of a play. It changed the whole outcome of the game. We might still be hitting right now because they might have had to get him off the mound, but that is the way the game is. We have been on both sides of this thing throughout the course of my career. Sometimes the ball bounces your way and sometimes it doesn’t. It is a game of inches, that is for sure.”

The Trexler-to-Farber double play in the seventh set off a massive on-field celebration.

“I just stayed focused on making sure I got the first out of the double play,” Trexler said. “Then I didn’t want to throw the ball away on the second out. I was just playing my position and made the play. Farber was at third and caught the ball to make the final out, and the game was over.”

Osmun was one of the Knights who posed for pictures with the district trophy.

“I was in the stands when we beat Walsh Jesuit in the district back in 2011 with all of those seniors,” Osmun said. “Last year I got to experience the district final and lost to these same guys. We knew we had come out with intensity today because they are a really good team. It was an intense game from the first pitch on.”

The outcome capped the Tallmadge careers of seniors Cordt Skraba, Zach Skraba, Zach Cleary, Kody Edwards, Scott Noel and Nick Robinson. All six played on regional teams.

“Hoban is pretty much the same team we matched up with last year across the board,” Linn said. “They only lost three seniors. They play a heck of a schedule and they prepare themselves for this, just like we do. We knew we had to play really well, we had to have clutch hits and we had to have the important things in a big game like this.”

Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the high school blog at http://www.ohio.com/preps. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MBeavenABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

Paradise often used a slow change-up that the Magics (19-6) had trouble with all afternoon.

“She definitely had command of her change-up today,” Medina coach Jessica Toocheck said. “It was nice that she was able to use that. Sometimes she can’t use it as often depending on the type of hitters they have and how well she’s throwing it. Today she had good control of it.”

The Bees (21-7) played stellar defense behind Paradise, helping her out when the ball was put in play.

At least one run was saved in the first inning on a diving play by third basemen Jen Sansonette. Barberton had runners on first and second base with two out with junior third basemen Courtney James up to bat. James roped a first-pitch fastball toward the left-field line but a quick reaction by Sansonette put an end to the inning.

In the sixth inning, Barberton batters Kayla Rorrer and Morgan Kadilak each hit deep line drives that Medina center fielder Lauren Peak went back on to make nice running catches.

“The defense really stepped up behind her,” Toocheck said. “We had some great plays defensively and I was proud of the infield and outfield.”

The Magics struck first, but their only two runs came in the second inning.

Kadilak reached on a fielder’s choice while trying to sacrifice a runner and then Ashlee Ford lined a double to left field. Ford finished with a single, double and a run scored.

After a fly out, leadoff hitter Kloee Cuckler hit a two-out single up the middle that scored both runners. She finished with two singles and two RBI.

Barberton’s lead didn’t last long. The Bees battled back to get all five of their runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Sansonette led off with a single before the next two batters reached on errors to load the bases.

Abby Knechtel then drew a walk to force in a run, Sami Holzman knocked one in with a single and Vanessa Scoarste brought one in with a sacrifice fly to center field.

Holzman led the Bees at the plate with two singles, an RBI and a run scored.

After a foulout, junior first basemen Madison Tata put the finishing touch on the rally with a two-out, two-run single to put the Bees ahead 5-2.

“I think we were just putting the ball in play and letting things happen,” Toocheck said. “They stayed aggressive on the bases and the girls in the dugout were supporting each other. I think that’s where a lot of the momentum comes from.”

Once Paradise got some run support, she went into cruise control, retiring 11 consecutive Magics from the third to sixth inning.

“Megan came out here and did what she needed to do on the mound,” Toocheck said. “And [catcher Maria Vanadia] called a great game.”

Medina will play Brunswick at 4:30 p.m. today in a district final at Barberton High School.

Read the high school blog at http://www.ohio.com/preps.

City Series Championship

Jordan Ragland of Kenmore defeated Milan Terzic of Ellet in the first singles title match of the City Series Championship and was named City Series Player of the Year on Tuesday at Hyre Park.

Ellet finished first with 50 points to claim the City Series title. Firestone and North tied for second with 12 points, and Kenmore finished third with six points.

The Orangemen won the second singles, third singles and first doubles match. Joey Aronhalt and Josiah Hackett of Firestone defeated C.J. Musgrave and John Waterhouse of Ellet in the second doubles match.

Jake Denham won the second singles match, Jannick Ritz won the third singles match and Aaron Beckert and Chris Loesch won the first doubles match to lead Ellet.

Kenmore coach John Lundgren was named Coach of the Year.

Ohio Coaches Association
Team Tournament

Andrew Ong won the second singles, Alan Du won the third singles and Austin Aten and Gavin Aten won the first doubles to give Copley a 3-2 win over Walsh Jesuit in a semifinal of the Ohio Coaches Association Team Tournament.

The Indians will play the winner of the Solon-Hudson match for the right to advance to the state tournament.

Aaron Sandberg of Walsh won the first singles match over Jarad Pennington.

Softball

North Canton Hoover 10,
Lake 0

Senior Caly Russo singled twice and drove in four runs and had an RBI for the Vikings (29-0) in a Massillon Division II district semifinal win over the Blue Streaks (14-13).

Senior Ally Farah singled three times and drove in a run, and junior Kaitlyn Eckelberry singled two times and had two RBI for the Vikings.

The Vikings will play Louisville in a district final today at Massillon.

Louisville 3, Jackson 2

Annie Woolf doubled twice and drove in all three runs to lead the Leopards (22-4) to a Massillon district semifinal win over the Polar Bears (20-9).

Woolf doubled home the game-winning run in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Abby Duffy and Abby Funk each had an RBI for the Polar Bears.

— Staff report

It is Flaherty’s first head coaching position.

Flaherty, 33, is a graduate of Stow High School and Walsh University and spent the past seven years as an assistant at Wadsworth. He played for former Walsh coach Jim Dennison and served as an assistant at Stow and under Dennison’s son, Greg, the coach at Wadsworth, the past three years as the offensive coordinator.

Cuyahoga Falls Athletic Director Tom DiFrancesco said a five-member school board unanimously approved the hiring of Flaherty on Monday. He replaces Mike Miller, who resigned after last season to become a member of the district’s administration.

“Sean is a good fit,” DiFrancesco said. “I like his background, and obviously his family history with football. His dad [Tom] was associated with Jim Dennison for numerous years at the University of Akron and Walsh University. Sean is a quality individual.”

DiFrancesco said the district received 41 applications for the position. Flaherty will teach language arts at the high school.

“Sean was solid throughout with all three interviews,” DiFrancesco said. “He is very excited. He met the kids today and they are very excited too.”

— Michael Beaven

About 60 folks attended a $125-a-ticket farewell Tuesday night, where they donned yellow plastic hard hats and sat at tables accented with yellow construction tape.

When finished this fall, the renovated Maple Street gym will be named the LeBron James Arena in honor of the NBA star who is footing the $1 million bill for the project.

The gym will get a floor, lighting, bleachers, locker rooms, restrooms and an upgraded training room.

As the current collapsible bleachers are replaced with stationary seating, capacity will grow from about 1,700 to 1,800 fans.

Gary Johnson, who has been announcing games in the gym for 24 years, joked that there will have to be “courses” to teach people how to use aisles, since the current bleachers require fans to clamor over each other’s shoulders and knees.

But the announcement that the gym would have air conditioning is what garnered the most applause of the night.

Jerome Lane, a former NBA player and 1985 St. V-M graduate whose own jersey number was retired at the school, said better lighting is desperately needed, and a state-of-the-art floor that bounces will save wear and tear on athlete’s knees.

“There’s a lot of history and we had a great time in here, but we’ve got to keep up with the times,” Lane said.

James — a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player now with the Miami Heat, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a 2003 St. V-M graduate who led the Irish to four consecutive state championship game appearances — appointed varsity coach Dru Joyce II to oversee the project for him.

Joyce, who coached James before the phenom became the NBA’s first overall draft pick in 2003, said the gift of the gym is an example of something he’s always said about James: “What he does outside of basketball will be greater than what he does inside basketball.”

The current gym was dedicated on Feb. 15, 1959, during a game between St. Mary High School and St. Vincent High School — the two schools that later merged as a directive from the Cleveland Dioceses.

The gym cost $270,000, the equivalent of $2.16 million today. The existing building will remain, but the inside will be gutted.

Johnson said the gym’s memories go beyond athletic events, having been used for everything from academic meets to fundraising efforts.

‘‘It’s a place that has been used “to pray, to cheer, to comfort, to inspire,” he said.

In addition to several speakers, Tuesday’s celebration also featured a table for alumni to share their memories, competitive free-throw and other basketball games, and an auction that included the right to shoot the very last basket in the one remaining hoop.

Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com.

Both players were pitching in their first Akron Division II district semifinals Monday at Summit Lake Park’s George Sisler Field.

Their feelings were natural, and their responses left their coaches smiling.

Pero guided Archbishop Hoban to a 4-1 win over Buckeye, and Noel guided Tallmadge to a 10-3 win over Field. The teams will meet in a district final at 4 p.m. today.

“I was here last year and warmed up during a couple of innings, but didn’t get in,” Pero said. “I was nervous as heck, but I came out here and pitched. My coach told me I was getting the start the other day. I was pretty excited for this one. I had my curveball diving down on them a little bit. They were having trouble catching up with my fastball outside. I was working it and trying to overcome the heat out here. This is the hottest day I think I have played Hoban baseball in Ohio.”

Sunshine and temperatures in the 80s greeted everyone in attendance.

The Knights (17-10) beat the Bucks (19-8) with eight hits. Pero, a 6-foot and 200-pound junior right-hander, pitched 6⅔ innings, struck out six and allowed three hits. Sophomore Dom Hinton got the final out.

“There was great pitching by both teams, and great defense and timely hitting by us,” Hoban coach Jim Diestel said.

“Pero threw the best he has thrown in probably his entire life. If I haven’t seen anything better than that it was in summer ball somewhere, which I am sure he has the capability of. He threw phenomenal in a big pressure moment. [Senior] Anthony Osmun leading from the behind the plate was key along with the defense of guys such as [seniors] Austin Farber, Sean Trexler and Aaron Cain, who in center field is the safety net of safety nets.”

Sophomore Jordan Burns gave Hoban a 1-0 lead in the first when he singled in senior Cody Hargett. The Knights led 2-0 in the fifth when Trexler hit a sacrifice fly to score Cain.

Hoban scored twice in the sixth. Junior Brennen Bell doubled in Burns and freshman Drew Kline scored on an error.

“This is a big win,” Hargett said. “We had to come out and play our best. Buckeye is always a good team. We have a great lineup who hits the ball.”

Buckeye senior Joe Bruening hit a double and triple. He scored a run in the seventh after a Nico Galizio groundout.

The Blue Devils (14-12) dispatched the Falcons (18-8) with 12 hits. Scott, a 6-foot-2 and 230-pound senior left-hander, pitched 5⅔ innings, struck out 10 and allowed eight hits. Sophomore Jason Beaumont got the final four outs.

“Last year I was in relief a lot and never pitched in a game like this,” Noel said. “I definitely was nervous at the start. I got off to a little bit of a shaky start, but I would not want it any other way than me out on the mound taking control with my guys behind me. We really came through as a team.”

Noel also smacked a two-run home run in the third and hit an RBI single in the sixth.

“Scott just got named to the Mizuno All-Ohio Series, which is a great honor,” Tallmadge coach Kenny Linn said. “He also got first-team all-district in the inland area and first team All-Suburban League. He received all those accolades [Sunday] and he came out [and] showed why he has been named that. He did a great job on the mound.”

Tallmadge sophomore John Rensel hit two doubles, scored two runs and had one RBI.

“This is my first district semi,” Rensel said. “It was a really good experience. My first at-bat started things off well.”

Seniors Zach Cleary, Zach Skraba and Kody Edwards also had key hits for Tallmadge along with junior Chris Gray and sophomores Matt Noel and Connor McVey.

“Hot weather brings hot bats,” Linn said. “That is what we believe. This is a team that believes it can make a run.”

Senior Mitch Kisamore (3-for-4 at-bat), junior Alex Bower and senior Brian Backer had run-scoring hits for Field.

Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the high school blog at http://www.ohio.com/preps. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MBeavenABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

Garrettsville 9, Windham 8

Sophomore third baseman Nick Kaiser hit a walk-off two-run home run to cap off a five-run seventh inning rally for the host G-Men (14-13, 8-5 PTC-County) on Monday.

The Bombers (15-7, 9-4) scored six runs in the fifth inning to go ahead 7-3. They added one more in the seventh to go ahead 8-4 before allowing five in the bottom half.

Kaiser finished with three hits, two runs and two RBI.

Stephen Kacenski led the Bombers with three doubles, three runs and two RBI.

North 14, Buchtel 12

The visiting Griffins rallied for four runs in the seventh inning but came up short as the Vikings (2-16, 1-10 City) earned their first City Series win.

Freshman Spencer Pearson led the Vikings with a single, triple and two runs.

Senior Jackson Harris added two singles and two RBI.

Garfield 8, East 6

The visiting Rams (7-13, 7-4 City) scored four runs in the fifth to break open a 3-3 tie.

Senior second baseman Adam Spisak singled twice and scored twice for Garfield.

Freshman Adam Watters singled and scored twice.

Southeast 11, Rootstown 1

Zach Morgan singled, homered and drove in four runs for the host Pirates (17-9, 11-2 PTC-County).

Shayne Meadows added three singles and Josh Lock singled and doubled.

Anthony Testa led the Rovers (7-17, 5-8) with two singles.

CVCA 15, Tuslaw 8

An eleven-run third inning was enough for the host Royals (14-10, 8-4 Principals Athletic) to knock off the Mustangs (18-10, 6-8).

Jordan Noska drove in four runs on two doubles and scored twice for CVCA.

Softball

Ellet 19, Firestone 2

The visiting Orangemen (13-12, 10-0 City) tallied 22 hits to stay perfect in City Series play.

Freshman catcher Alyssa Cook had three singles, a double, a triple, three RBI and four runs.

Laura Lakins added three singles, a double, three RBI and four runs.

Kristen Skeans singled, tripled and scored a run for the Falcons (12-15, 10-2).

Garrettsville 8, Waterloo 7

The host Vikings (13-7, 10-3 PTC-County) tallied all seven runs in the sixth inning, but were unable to add on another as they fell to the G-Men (13-8, 9-5).

Freshman Madi Geddes singled three times for Garrettsville, scored twice and drove in a run.

Whitney Miller, Shelby Baughman and Kala Lowe each added two singles.

Junior Haley Hurd paced Waterloo with two singles, a double and a run.

Southeast 7, East Canton 3

Hunter Harris took a shutout into the seventh inning while the Pirates’ (10-13, 8-5 PTC-County) offense gave her more than enough support for the win.

Josey Wheeler hit a three-run home run for Southeast and Alicia Swierz drove in three on a single and a double.

Courtney Kennedy singled three times for the visiting Hornets (2-20, 2-10).

Stow 8, Cloverleaf 1

Sophomore Alyssa Ingram allowed a run in the first inning but blanked the visiting Colts (14-15) over the next six innings to improve her record to 6-0.

Senior first baseman Stephenie Little led the Bulldogs (22-6) at the plate with a single, double, three RBI and a run.

Lindsay Jones, Sadie Jones and Landry Slider each added two hits for Stow.

And the first of three scheduled meetings went to visiting Ellet in convincing fashion as the Orangemen scored six times in the second inning and cruised to a 12-3 victory at Firestone’s Dave Marshall Field.

The rivals will square off again at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Ellet in the second of their home-and-home games.

And the most important one — the City Series title game — will feature the same teams at Canal Park on June 1.

Ellet (18-8, 11-0) clinched at least a tie for the league’s regular-season crown Monday, scoring five more runs in the second after a two-out infield pop was dropped.

“I know they made a miscue, but I think the way we took advantage of it with some solid hits afterward really made a difference,” said Ellet coach John Sarver. “We sort of hit the ball pretty well throughout that game.”

Senior Drew Fite’s run-scoring single drove in Nate Steiner to give Firestone (13-14, 10-1) a short-lived 1-0 lead in the first. Ellet responded with five hits in the second, along with three Falcon errors, to take a 6-1 lead.

Cory Campano doubled with one out and scored on junior Christian Burkhart’s single. Senior Josh Yeager walked with two out and sophomore Andrew Knicely’s popup was misplayed to score a run.

Senior Cody Martin’s two-run double made it 4-1 and he came around on senior Russell Kline’s double. Junior Jacob Isenhart then singled in Kline.

“And it’s not always the same guys that have been hitting the ball consistently,” said Sarver, who has been at Ellet since 1999. “There’s been a number of guys throughout the lineup that have done it.”

Ellet scored two more runs in the third as both Burkhart and Knicely doubled and scored. The Orangemen added a run in the fifth, two more in the sixth and one in the seventh. They had 12 hits.

Five errors also contributed to a long day for three Falcons pitchers, including starter Alex Cole (6-2).

“You can’t expect the kid to get five or six outs every inning and Ellet capitalized and took advantage of our mistakes,” said Firestone’s first-year coach Aaron DeBord. “Whenever we made one mistake, they turned it into two base hits after that. They played a great game today, and we didn’t.”

Ellet also received solid work from two pitchers. Senior left-hander Brandon Hendershot (5-1) pitched the first four innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Senior right-hander Zack Ross went the final three innings, giving up one run on three hits.

Campano, a senior, had two doubles and two walks. A starting catcher the past three years, he has learned to deal with a variety of pitchers.

“They do their stuff differently,” said Campano. “They all get bothered different ways. But I work with them a lot so I know what they like to do and what helps them out.”

With both teams eliminated from postseason play, the focus is all on the head-to-head matchups.

“It’s always nice going into the city championship,” said Campano. “These are our last three games. You want to win all of them going out. That’s all we have for the rest of the year.”

Read the high school blog at http://www.ohio.com/preps.