AKRON – Lancaster’s bid to win the school’s first softball state championship came up a little short, but the Lady Gales showed a lot of grit, like they have all season.
Trailing 4-0 in the third inning against Hilliard Bradley during the Division I state championship game on Thursday, June 4, Lancaster battled back, scoring five runs in the bottom of the third to take a 5-4 lead. After the Jaguars tied it in the fourth inning, they were able to come up with a big hit, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh and denying the Gales in a 7-5 victory at Akron’s Firestone Stadium.
It marked the end of a historic season for Lancaster (24-8). After reaching the state tournament for the first time in school history in 2025, the Gales not only reached the final four for the second straight year but also upset Austintown-Fitch, the No. 1-ranked team in the state, in the state semifinal on June 3. The loss on Thursday snapped a 19-game winning streak after the Gales started the season 5-7.
The senior class won 102 career games, two Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division titles, three district championships, and made two final appearances to go along with the state runner-up finish.
It was a tough way to end the season, but Lancaster coach Allie Kinniard couldn’t be prouder of her team, especially the six seniors, Kendall Brown, Hailey Rings, Kileigh Rohr, Mia Griggs, Hannah Smith and Lana Prince. She was in tears when describing the six seniors meant to the program.
“I’m just so proud of this senior class. I don’t have words,” said Kinniard, who began to tear before composing herself. “I’m just proud of how hard they fought all year. They’ve had great high school careers; they won 102 games and were state runners-up. I know a lot of people gauge things like we didn’t win our league, but we have been here the last two years, and we didn’t win our league. These seniors are a great group of girls, and the legacy they are leaving behind will last a long time. Even the younger girls in 5th and 6th grade come to camp and look up to these girls so much. Our stands were packed with girls on little teams, and it makes me so excited that the seniors set the tone for the future of Lancaster softball.”
The title game began with a bang when Bradley junior Sophia Lopez belted a solo home run to give the Jaguars a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning. As it turned out, Lopez would have a huge say in the outcome.
Bradley would plate three more runs in the top of the third inning to take a 4-0 advantage. However, the Gales took advantage of two errors to begin the bottom half of the inning and plated five runs to take a 5-4 lead.
After the two errors put runners at first and second, Prince and Brown followed with RBI singles, and Rohr delivered a huge two-run double to tie the score. Smith put the Gales ahead with another RBI single.
After Bradley tied the score at 5-5 in the fourth inning, the Gales had a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the sixth with runners at first and second, but a fly out and a pop up ended the threat, setting up the ending in the seventh inning.
Bradley began the inning with a batter being hit, and an error followed that. After both runners stole, Lopez delivered a two-run double that plated the game-winning runs. The Gales went down in order in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Kileigh Rohr started and pitched two-plus innings, giving up five hits and four runs, with only one of them being earned. Mackenzie Hedrick pitched four-plus innings in relief. She allowed three hits and two earned runs.
Rings and Smith led the Gales’ seven-hit attack with two hits each.
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at twilson@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on X at twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Lancaster softball falls just short in state championship game
