LEXINGTON — A change of scenery didn’t seem to bother Makaree Chapman.
The North Central Ohio Pitcher of the Year, Chapman led Lexington to an Ohio Cardinal Conference championship and a berth in the Elite Eight in her first season in purple and gold.
She played at Ashland last spring, when she was an OCC first-team pick.
The junior left-hander was selected the OCC’s Pitcher of the Year this spring after helping Lady Lex to its first OCC title since 2009. She was 21-3 with a 1.67 earned run average and 238 strikeouts in 159 innings of work.
A Division II Northwest District first-team pick, Chapman is the ace of a four-person pitching staff that was a combined 65-16 with 725 strikeouts. Here’s a look at the rest of the rotation:
Grace Gronberg, Danville: A senior who will play her college softball at Bluffton, Gronberg was selected the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference Player of the Year after leading the Blue Devils to the title. She was 14-4 with a 2.20 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 105 innings of work. Gronberg, who was the KMAC’s offensive Triple Crown winner (.588 batting average, 11 home runs, 39 RBIs) was an All-Ohio second-team pick in Division IV.
Layla Azmoun, Madison: A senior, Azmoun capped her career in style. She was 20-65 with a 2.22 ERA and 217 strikeouts in 164.1 innings. Azmoun was an All-Northwest District second-teamer in Division I and an Ohio Cardinal Conference first-team selection, helping the Rams reach the district final.
Chesnie Patton, Crestview: The junior right-hander was 10-3 with a 1.10 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 83 innings this spring. Patton was selected the Firelands Conference Pitcher of the Year and earned a spot on the Northwest District second team in Division III.