JEROMESVILLE — Even by its own lofty standards, this year’s run to the state tournament has been extraordinary for the Hillsdale softball program.
The Falcons are in the Final Four for the 15th time in school history and will begin their quest for a seventh state title at 10 a.m. Friday against Bradford in the Division IV state semifinals at Akron’s Firestone Stadium. A victory would send Hillsdale into Saturday’s 4 p.m. championship game against either Strasburg-Franklin or Defiance Tinora.
That Hillsdale has reached the state tournament comes as no great surprise. The showcase event began in 1978 and Hillsdale was Class A runner-up that spring. The Falcons won their first state title a year later. Division III state championships followed in 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2010. In addition to 1978, Hillsdale was state runner-up in 1986 and 1992 and reached the semifinals in 1981, 1984, 1995, 2007 and, most recently, 2016.
It’s the way Hillsdale has stormed through the postseason that has the softball-mad community in central Ashland County buzzing.
Hillsdale hasn’t allowed a single run in five postseason games. The Falcons have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 37-0.
Pitcher Sydney Long, has been virtually untouchable during the postseason run. She struck out 14 and surrendered two hits in a 3-0 win over Mohawk in the Akron regional final. That performance came on the heels of a 16-strikeout, one-hit gem in a 6-0 win over Bristol in the regional semifinals.
As a sophomore, Long was the hard-luck loser as the Falcons fell to Strasburg in the state semifinals. The Ohio Dominican-bound senior is the fourth pitcher in program history to pitch in at least two state tournaments, joining Susie Hardy (1978, 1979, 1981), Lori Bach (1992, 1994), Hope Gardner (1995, 1996) and Leslie Eberhardt (1999, 2000).
Long, who doubled and drove in a run in Hillsdale’s win over Mohawk, was selected the Wayne County Athletic League Player of the Year. In addition to her work in the pitcher’s circle, she was hitting better than .450 going into the regional tournament. She has received plenty of offensive support from fellow Ohio Dominican recruit Keirah Smetzer, Sophie Goon, Kaylee Cline, Emily Crossen, Hattie Stamen, Olivia Betson and Josie Rowland, among others.
Bradford, meanwhile, is making its first ever Final Four appearance. The Railroaders pounded Parkway 12-1 in six innings to win the Greenville regional. Freshman pitcher Skipp Miller already has verbally committed to play at Division I Ohio University. Miller lead the team in hitting with a .549 average and 32 runs batted in.
The second Division IV regional semifinal game between Tinora and Strasburg was originally scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Friday. The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced Wednesday that the game has been pushed back to 3 p.m. and the Division III semifinal between Warren Champion and North Union has been moved to 12:30 p.m. to accommodate a graduation of one of the participating teams.
