Humble and happy Sydney Campbell extends Keystone's streak of Lorain County Miss Softball winners

LAGRANGE — Players on the Keystone roster might not understand that the Miss Softball award is given to the top senior player in Lorain County every season. That's because a Wildcats player has captured the award every year they've been in high school.Standout pitcher Sydney Campbell became the school's fourth straight Miss Softball winner Tuesday night — and 15th overall — when she was presented the award, which is sponsored by Coca-Cola, before the Lorain County Senior All-Stars Softball Game at LaGrange Community Park."Winning that award … it's one of my dreams that I've had for so long," Campbell said. "It's just amazing that I've been able to accomplish this with my teammates, with all their help, with all my coaches, it's just a really good feeling to accomplish that goal of mine."Campbell put together a performance the past two seasons that is among the best ever in Ohio.She set the state record for consecutive wins with 63, finishing No. 5 all time in the nation. Her last two defeats came more than two years apart — a loss to Butler on April 15 of her sophomore season and a loss to Hebron Lakewood on May 31 in the Division II state semifinals.Campbell set county records with four perfect games this season, strikeouts in a five-inning game (15) and career shutouts (50), which matched former Keystone great Brittney Robinson (2000-03).She fell one short of three other county records with 19 shutouts in a season (Keystone's Amie Leffew had 20), eight consecutive shutouts (Avon Lake's Andi Nicholson had nine) and 14 career no-hitters (Keystone's Kristie Malinkey had 15).Despite the records, the state championship her junior season and a scholarship to NCAA Division I's Oakland University, Campbell was convinced she wasn't the frontrunner for the county's top award."Honestly, coming into today I wasn't expecting it," she said. "I didn't think I was going to win it because there are so many good people — even pitchers on our (All-Star) team like (Amherst's) Madison O'Berg and (Keystone teammate) Autumn (Acord) — I really thought I was going to be third in the running actually."Campbell follows teammates Madi Nunez — who shared the 2018 Miss Softball award with Midview's Gabby Shackelford — Sammie Stefan and Summer Constable as the last four winners. Carleigh Herrington won the 2014 award, making it five winners in the last six years for the Wildcats."I'm extremely happy for her and our program," Keystone coach Jim Piazza said during a phone interview Tuesday night. "This is why our program has the tradition it does. You have those players in front of you to show you the way to do it, and you just have to follow the way they have led."Sydney will be the first one to tell you this is impossible without the program, but she has worked extremely hard since Day 1. She has shown that if you continue to work hard and believe in yourself, great things are going to happen."Some of the other notable Miss Softball winners from Keystone are Kenzie Conrad, Malinkey, Robinson and Leffew — considered some of the greatest pitchers in Lorain County history."It's really cool because I've seen them win it and I knew that I wanted to win it," Campbell said. "Going into freshman year I would never have imagined that right now I'd be a state champion and Miss Softball. It's crazy. Freshman year, I didn't even think I'd play varsity. It's just overwhelming with how great it feels."Campbell was the starting pitcher for the Lorain County team — the county's top seniors faced a team of top players from Cuyahoga County — and the leadoff hitter, which drew a few chuckles from the Keystone faithful as it was just her third at-bat of the season.She had mixed emotions that Keystone's home field was chosen as the site of this year's game."We were really sad walking up, me and the other (Keystone) girls," Campbell said. "We kind of wished it wasn't here, but at the same time it was nice being able to play here one more time."Contact Shaun Bennett at 329-7137 or sbennett@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @ShaunBennettct on Twitter.Miss Softball award winners2019 — Sydney Campbell, Keystone2018 — Madi Nunez, Keystone, and Gabby Shackelford, Midview2017 — Sammie Stefan, Keystone2016 — Summer Constable, Keystone2015 — Anna Edwards, Avon2014 — Carleigh Herrington, Keystone2013 — Caitlyn Minney, Elyria2012 — Kenzie Conrad, Keystone2011 — Kristen Boros, Elyria2010 — Melissa Rennie, Wellington2009 — Tess Sito, Elyria, and Kara Dill, Keystone2008 — Jillian Van Wagnen, Admiral King2007 — Sarah Stromack, Keystone2006 — Kristie Malinkey, Keystone2005 — Alex Boros, Elyria2004 — Christina Swiers, Amherst2003 — Brittney Robinson, Keystone2002 — Jess Jesko, Firelands2001 — Megan Meyer, Vermilion2000 — Lacey Reichert, Amherst1999 — Amie Leffew, Keystone1998 — Rachel Baran, Firelands1997 — Kim Evans, Keystone1996 — Laura Dragan, North Ridgeville, and Tammy Yount, Elyria1995 — Jamie Cendrosky, Keystone1994 — Amy Johnson, Keystone, and Sarah Martin, Keystone1993 — Ashley Anderson, Elyria1992 — Heather Zehel, Amherst, and Cassie Wilmoth, Firelands