Regional softball: It's a walk in the park as Buckeye dispatches Tallmadge

MACEDONIA — Despite a bit of chaos down the stretch, it was still a walk in the park. The Buckeye softball team used three bases-loaded walks and another stellar pitching performance from freshman sensation Lilly Young to defeat defending state champion Tallmadge 4-1 Wednesday in a Nordonia Division II Regional semifinal. Looking nothing like a team making the first regional appearance in school history until some late-inning defensive struggles, the Bucks (22-6) advanced to play 2023 state runner-up Canfield (24-3), a 12-2 winner over Aurora (24-2) in the first semifinal, at 1 p.m. Friday. Tallmadge, which lost 12-2 and 13-0 to Aurora in Suburban League American Conference play, finished 21-9. "In tournament play it's surprising, but we'll take all the runs we can get," Buckeye senior catcher Madi Lichty said after her team scored four runs on five hits, 10 walks, one hit batter and an error. "The greatest thing is we're adapting and we'll take those pitches so we can get walks." Equally surprising is that the Bucks got their first three runs off Riley Jackson (11-7), who pitched a two-hitter in the Blue Devils' 9-0 win over Canfield in the 2023 state championship. Jackson lasted just 2 2/3 innings and gave up three hits, seven walks and hit a batter while striking out two. "They're runs," said Buckeye leadoff hitter Cassy Minarchick, whose third walk in the first three innings forced in a run. "We seemed to be on to something at the plate and didn't try to go get one we didn't need to get." The Bucks had chances to score in the first two innings, but the speedy Minarchick was thrown out at the plate by center fielder Leila Staszak while trying to score from second on a base hit by Kelsey Metter in the home half of the first. Buckeye had the bases loaded with two outs in the second, but Blue Devils left fielder Aubrey Almond made a great running catch of a deep blast by Faith Shaw. Then, despite having a pinch runner get picked off first for the first out of the third, the Bucks scored three times on one hit and six walks, with Metter, Kwynn Czerwony and Sarah Michaels trotting home on walks to Kelsey Morano, Young and Minarchick. "That's an awesome feeling," Young said. "Whether you're getting hits or taking walks, either way they're runs and they help us." Buckeye added an unearned run in the fourth on hits by Lichty and Metter and a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt and Young took care of the rest. The 15-year-old went the distance, giving up an unearned run and six hits while walking none and striking out 10. In two district games and one regional appearance, the right-hander has pitched 19 innings and allowed two earned runs with no walks and 34 strikeouts. "She was on today," Lichty said. "The biggest thing is, now that we're getting into the better teams, the first time through the order is a trial run. After that, I know what pitches to call and she spins it past them." Young gave up a soft leadoff single to Lexi Gray and a one-out bunt single to Staszak in the top of the first but wasn't fazed. She ended the threat by fanning Ashlyn Severns and Payton Almond, starting a stretch that saw her retire 13 straight batters, with eight coming on strikeouts. "It doesn't matter when they get hits because I just roll with it," Young said. "My 'D' is behind me and (Lichty) is awesome at calling pitches." That "D" made matters interesting in the final two innings, but it also came up with a crucial out. Gray led off the sixth with a double and scored when Buckeye failed to catch an infield pop up with two outs, but Young induced a pop up that was caught by shortstop Bella Melillo to escape further damage. The seventh was even more chaotic. Katie Huth led off with a bloop single to right and, following Young's 10th strikeout, pinch runner Kiera Staszak moved to second when Buckeye failed to catch another infield pop up. The Bucks appeared to have recovered and gotten the force at second, but Staszak was called safe. Representing the tying run, Aubrey Almond then singled to center. Staszak bolted well around third and then slammed on the brakes, but when the throw from Buckeye center fielder Michaels went well up the line, she started toward home again. A hustling Lichty chased down the ball, threw to Young covering the plate and Staszak was out 8-2-1. Young then got the dangerous Gray to fly out to left for the final out. "As soon as (Michaels) threw the ball, I knew I had to get it," Lichty said. "I wasn't expecting to have time to throw the ball back to (Young), but fortunately we've practiced that all year." Next up for Buckeye is an extremely good Canfield team that was ranked No. 1 in the state in the final Ohio High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association D-II poll, but with a red-hot Young in the circle and an offense able to generate runs in multiple ways, the Bucks are conceding nothing. "They're going to be good," Minarchick said of the Cardinals. "We have to come ready." Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4046 or rnoland@medina-gazette.com. Follow him @RickNoland on X. Buckeye 4, Tallmadge 1 Nordonia Division II Regional Semifinal TALLMADGE 000 001 0 — 1 6 1 BUCKEYE 003 100 x — 4 5 2 WP — Lilly Young (12-3) 7 innings, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 10 strikeouts. LP — Riley Jackson (11-7) 2 2/3 innings, 3 runs, 3 earned runs, 3 hits, 7 walks, hit by pitch, 2 strikeouts. Tallmadge (21-9) — Lexi Gray single, double, run. Buckeye (22-6) — Cassy Minarchick 3 walks, RBI; Madi Lichty single, 2 walks; Kelsey Metter 2 singles, walk, run; Kelsey Morano 2 walks, RBI; Young walk, hit by pitch, RBI.