With the calendar flipping to May, it is time to start making final preparations for postseason time and make pushes for league championships.
Richland County athletes proved they were in rare form last week in baseball, softball and track and field. Let’s take a look at how they each showed they cannot wait for some postseason action with this week’s top performers list.
Monday, April 27
-Mansfield Christian’s Bailee Nelson tossed a five-inning no-hitter with 12 strikeouts in the Flames’ 18-0 Mid-Buckeye Conference softball championship-clinching win over Central Christian. She also added a hit and an RBI at the plate. Cassidi Nelson led the Flames with three hits while Tori Zerby and Kaci Pollard had two apiece and Jael Sterken, Addie Keller and Maddie Hockman had one apiece. Pollard collected three RBIs while Cassidi Nelson and Zerby had two apiece and Haylee Shade, Ayla Wison, Sterken and Keller had one apiece.
-Shelby’s Kaleb Stairs had two hits and an RBI and also picked up the save working the final inning allowing one run on two hits during the Whippets’ 9-7 nonconference baseball win over Tiffin Columbian. Conner Hartz had a hit and two RBIs and picked up the win on the mound allowing six runs, just three earned, on six hits with one strikeout in six innings of work. Brady Bowman and Travis Slone had a hit and an RBI apiece in the win.
-Lucas’ Brady Anschutz had two hits and picked up the win on the mound allowing four runs on three hits with 12 strikeouts in a complete game during the Cubs’ 5-4 Mid-Buckeye Conference baseball win over Crestline. Anthony Fanello had two hits and two RBIs and Jack DiBartolomeo slugged a solo home run in the victory.
Tuesday, April 28
-Ontario’s Morgan Pearson clubbed a go-ahead 3-run home run in the top of the ninth to lead the Warriors to a 12-10 Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference softball win over Shelby. She had three hits and three RBIs while Saylor Smith and Ellie Dawson had two hits and two RBIs apiece and Brinlee Kreger had a hit and three RBIs. Smith smashed a solo home run in the top of the seventh to tie the game at nine and send it to extra innings. Sophie Schuster picked up the win in the circle allowing three runs, just two earned, on four hits with three strikeouts in five innings of relief.
-Clear Fork’s Miley Shafer had two hits and collected four RBIs while also picking up the win in the circle allowing one run on four hits with five strikeouts in seven innings of work during the Colts’ 10-1 Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference softball win over Highland.
-Lexington’s Mariana Molton had two hits and three RBIs with a home run while also earning the win in the circle allowing five runs, three earned, on 10 hits with one strikeout in a complete game during Lady Lex’s 9-5 Ohio Cardinal Conference softball win over Wooster. Quinn Patrick had a hit and two RBIs and Kylie Thornton had three hits with an RBI in the win.
-Crestview’s Bria White had two hits and five RBIs in the Cougars’ 12-1 Firelands Conference softball win over Plymouth. Allison Volz had three hits and two RBIs and picked up the win in the circle allowing one run on four hits with 11 strikeouts in six innings of work. Carlee Crider had four hits and two RBIs to round out a big offensive day for the Cougars.
-Mansfield Christian’s Cassidi Nelson had four hits and six RBIs with a home run in the Flames’ 20-6 Mid-Buckeye Conference softball win over Central Christian. Maddie Hockman added a hit and three RBIs in the victory.
-Madison’s Allie Shrader had three hits and five RBIs while Lexi Lewis added four hits and two RBIs in the Rams’ 11-1 Ohio Cardinal Conference softball win over West Holmes. Caliyah Clapper had two hits and two RBIs and took the win in the circle allowing one run on one hit with nine strikeouts in five innings of work.
-Lucas’ Destiny Foss had three hits and two RBIs in the Cubs’ 21-7 Mid-Buckeye Conference softball win over Crestline. Chelsea Sweet, Myah Midkiff and Charlize Stinehour had a hit and three RBIs apiece as Sweet crushed a home run. Stinehour picked up the win in the circle allowing seven runs, just one was earned, on three hits with six strikeouts.
-Shelby’s Nate Lykins had one hit and two RBIs in the Whippets’ 5-4 Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference baseball win over Ontario. Travis Slone picked up the win on the mound allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits with two strikeouts in six innings of work. Kaleb Stairs had an RBI and picked up the save allowing no runs on no hits with a strikeout in one inning.
-Crestview’s Grady Cline had three hits and four RBIs in the Cougars’ 11-1 Firelands Conference win over Plymouth. Brayden Parrigan had two hits and two RBIs while Carson Keener and Kaden Stutz had one hit and two RBIs apiece. Drew Spoerr picked up the win on the mound allowing one run on three hits with six strikeouts in six innings of work. He also added a hit and an RBI.
-Lucas’ Brady Anschutz and Cullen Withrow had one hit and two RBIs apiece while Anthony Fanello had two hits and one RBI in the Cubs’ 5-3 Mid-Buckeye Conference baseball win over Crestline. Anschutz slugged a home run while Jack DiBartolomeo earned the win on the mound allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits with nine strikeouts. Fanello picked up the save working the final inning allowing no runs on two hits with a strikeout.
Wednesday, April 29
-Lexington’s Quinn Patrick had three hits and two RBIs in Lady Lex’s 8-3 Ohio Cardinal Conference softball win over Wooster. Rylie McGuire had two hits and two RBIs while Mariana Molton added a hit and two RBIs with a home run and also picked up the victory in the circle allowing three runs on six hits with one strikeout in a complete game.
-Clear Fork’s Millie Chamberlain had a hit and two RBIs with a home run in the Colts’ 5-1 nonconference softball win over Mapleton. Miley Shafer added a hit and two RBIs and took the win in the circle allowing one run on four hits with five strikeouts in a complete game masterpiece.
-Madison’s Aiden Proctor had a hit and two RBIs while Ashton Taylor had two hits and an RBI in the Rams’ 5-3 Ohio Cardinal Conference baseball win over West Holmes. Liam Stone had a hit and took the win on the mound allowing no runs on four hits with three strikeouts in five innings of relief work.
Thursday, April 30
-Shelby’s Kendall Bowman had three hits and three RBIs with a home run during the Whippets’ 9-3 Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference win over Ontario. Natalie Kennard added three hits while Liberty Lewis had two hits and two RBIs.
-Clear Fork’s Millie Chamberlain had two hits and two RBIs’ in the Colts’ 7-4 Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference softball win over Highland.
-Crestview’s Bria White had two hits and four RBIs with two home runs in the Cougars’ 12-1 Firealdns Conference win over Plymouth. Bella Hillman had a hit and three RBIs while Allison Volz had a hit and took the win in the circle allowing one run on seven hits with nine strikeouts in five innings of work.
-Shelby’s Quinton Albert, Travis Slone and Brock Fisher had two hits and one RBI apiece in the Whippets’ 7-1 Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference baseball win over Ontario. Kaleb Staris added a hit and an RBI while also taking the win on the mound allowing one run on six hits with five strikeouts in a complete game masterpiece.
Friday, May 1
-Plymouth’s Izaya Reynolds won the 400-meter dash at the 2026 Royer Invitational at Colonel Crawford High School with a time of 50.59.
-Lucas’ Ray Lewis won the 1,600-meter run at the 2026 Royer Invitational at Colonel Crawford High School with a time of 4:37.20.
-Lucas’ Joey Desterhaft won the 110-meter hurdles at the 2026 Royer Invitational at Colonel Crawford High School with a time of 15.28 to set a new meet record. He also won the 300-meter hurdles with a 39.37, also a meet record. He went on to win the boys long jump competition with a 21-0.75.
-The Shelby quartet of Brady Bowman, Brayden DeVito, Renner Gano and Gavin Baker won the 4×100-meter relay at the 2026 Royer Invitational at Colonel Crawford High School with a time of 42.81. They also won the 4×200-meter relay in 1:30.16.
-Lucas’ Riley Trumpower on the 300-meter hurdles at the 2026 Royer Invitational at Colonel Crawford High School with a time of 49.53.
-Lexington’s Latrell Hughes won the 200-meter dash at the 76th Marion Night Invitational with a time of 21.97.
-Ontario’s Jace Young won the 400-meter dash at the 76th Marion Night Invitational with a time of 50.34.
-Lexington’s Lincoln Rice won the 3,200-meter run at the 76th Marion Night Invitational with a time of 9:38.07.
-The Lexington quartet of Will Hooper, Nathan Reed, Kingston Peterson and Latrell Hughes won the 4×400-meter relay at the 76th Marion Night Invitational with a time of 3:27.62.
-The Lexington quartet of Nathan Reed, Drew Hooper, Clay Hooper and Latrell Hughes won the 4×800-meter relay at the 76th Marion Night Invitational with a time of 7:55.28.
-Madison’s Jaxin Stancombe won the boys discus competition at the 76th Marion Night Invitational with a toss of 144-04.
-Clear Fork’s Taylor Bly won the 200-meter dash at the 76th Marion Night Invitational with a time of 25.86. She also won the 400-meter dash with a 58.04.
-Lexington’s Mia Twedt won the 800-meter run at the 76th Marion Night Invitational with a time of 2:21.08.
-Lexington’s Gabi Twedt won the 1,600-meter run at the 76th Marion Night Invitational with a time of 5:11.75.
-Lexington’s Katya Prykhodko won the 3,200-meter run at the 76th Marion Night Invitational with a time of 11:10.28.
-The Ontario quartet of Jazlyn Johnson, Emma Kaple, Ryleigh Ames and Tessa Crum won the 4×100-meter relay at the 76th Marion Night Invitational with a time of 52.34.
-The Ontario quartet of Mia Moton, Tessa Crum, Sasha Bulakovski and Audrey Mahon won the 4×200-meter relay at the 76th Marion Night Invitational with a time of 1:44.98.
-The Ontario quartet of Kamryn Pelphrey, Sasha Bulakovski, Tessa Crum and Audrey Mahon won the 4×400-meter relay at the 76th Marion Night Invitational with a time of 3:57.45.
-The Lexington quartet of Brailey Slone, Jenna Halfhill, Jersie Palmer and Katya Prykhodko won the 4×800-meter relay at the 76th Marion Night Invitational with a time of 9:54.62.
-Plymouth’s Zarah Plank and Makayla Cunningham had three hits and two RBIs apiece in the Big Red’s 15-11 nonconference softball win over Buckeye Central. Presley Martin also had three hits and an RBI while Kristi Yeager and Makayla Bowman had two hits and two RBIs apiece.
-Plymouth’s Lex Grose had three hits and three RBIs while Jarrett Burrer added two hits and three RBIs in the Big Red’s 21-11 nonconference baseball win over Buckeye Central. Lincoln Distl added three hits and two RBIs in the win.
Saturday, May 2
-Clear Fork’s Millie Chamberlain had one hit and one RBI in the Colts’ 1-0 nonconference softball win over Hillsdale. Miley Shafer took the win in the circle allowing no runs on three hits with three strikeouts in a complete game masterpiece.
-Mansfield Christian’s Allice Stauffer had one hit and three RBIs while Kaci Pollard had one hit and two RBIs and Cassidi Nelson had two hits and an RBI in the Flames’ 8-2 nonconference softball win over Allen East in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Bailee Nelson picked up the win in the circle allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits with nine strikeouts in five innings of work.
-Mansfield Christian’s Kaci Pollard had three hits with an RBI while Bailee Nelson and Alice Stauffer had one hit and two RBIs apiece in the Flames’ 11-2 nonconference softball win over Allen East in Game 2 of a doubleheader. Tori Zerby earned the win in the circle allowing two runs on three hits with three strikeouts in three innings of work.
-Shelby’s Nate Lykins had a hit and three RBIs in the Whippets’ 11-1 nonconference baseball win over Willard. Conner Hartz had a hit, an RBI and earned the win on the mound allowing one unearned run on one hit with five strikeouts in five innings of work.
-Lexington’s Cooper Clark had three hits and two RBIs while Jackson Eichorn had two hits and two RBIs in the Minutemen’s 9-3 nonconference baseball win over Clear Fork. Tyler Galownia earned the win on the mound allowing three runs, two earned, on one hit with four strikeouts in five innings of work.
jfurr@usatodayco.com
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Calendar flips to May and top performers list is as impressive as ever
Reporting by Jake Furr, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
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