For the first time in more than three decades, the Madison Rams are headed to the state softball tournament.
Waiting for the Cinderella Rams are the Cinderella Louisville Leopards who have had a similar 2026 season as Madison. With records barely above .500, this is going to be one heck of a game between two hot teams.
Let’s break it down with this edition of scouting report.
The Division III state semifinal matchup
Madison (16-14) vs Louisville (17-13), 10 a.m. Friday, June 5 at Akron Firestone Stadium
Which Cinderella will be heading to the state championship game? That is the big question out of the first Division III state semifinal game of the day. Two teams with a combined 33-27 record have made it to the state semifinals after winning regional championships last week.
The Rams are riding a six-game winning streak and have allowed just four runs the entire tournament. They have outscored opponents 25-4 after going through a regular season that ended with a 12-14 record. Madison beat Shelby 5-1, Celina 10-2, Ontario 7-0 and Uniontown Lake 3-1 during their magical tournament run. This is the first time since 1995 Madison has sent a softball team to the state semifinals ending a 31-year drought with the most unlikely of postseason runs in recent memory.
Louisville is back in the state tournament for the second time in program history after going in 2019. The Leopards have outscored opponents 59-5 mixing a solid offensive attack with some great pitching. They beat Ursuline 11-3, St. Vincent-St. Mary 6-1, Medina Buckeye 7-0, Parma Holy Name 5-1 and Akron Archbishop Hoban 8-0. The Leopards went 12-13 during the regular season against an absolutely loaded schedule.
The key for Madison
The Rams should be able to scratch out a few runs against Louisville, so the key will be to play error free softball on defense. During the tournament run, the Rams’ defense has been lights out committing just four errors and no more than one per game. That is why they are playing in Akron. They have had great pitching and timely hitting, but they are making play after play on defense. If they can continue to do that, they could be playing for a state title.
The key for Louisville
The key for the Leopards is to do whatever they can to neutralize Caliyah Clapper. That is easier said than done. The sophomore is a freight train lately with her pitching and offense. She had nine strikeouts in the regional final, 11 in the semifinal and 11 in the district final. She is inching closer and closer to the career strikeout record and she is only a sophomore. She always comes up with a huge hit in the biggest of moments. Getting her out is a chore.
Players to watch
Caliyah Clapper, Madison
Clapper is back to 100% after preseason hip surgery and a broken thumb suffered a month ago and she is showing why she is one of the best players in the state. She is hitting .545 with 48 hits, 14 doubles, a triple, a home run, 33 RBIs and 24 runs scored. In the circle, she is 13-6 with a save, 141 strikeouts and a 2.47 earned run average in 105 innings. She has been untouchable in the tournament and is killing the softball at the plate. X-factor.
Katelynn Miller, Louisville
The ace of the pitching staff, Miller is 13-6 with two saves, 181 strikeouts and a 1.70 earned run average in 127 2/3 innings of work. She isn’t a big strikeout pitcher, but seems to get a lot of ground balls and pop ups. She is also a solid hitter at .326 with 29 hits, six doubles, a home run, 18 RBIs and 29 runs scored. If the Leopards have any chance of winning this, Miller is going to have to pitch the game of her life.
Izzy Wamsley, Madison
Wamsley is hitting .347 with 40 hits, nine doubles, two triples, 12 RBIs and 37 runs scored out of the leadoff spot. She flat out gets on base with a .432 on-base percentage and is a threat to run at any moment with 25 steals. She has only been caught twice. She has one of the best gloves at shortstop and will be crucial for the Rams on the defensive side. She needs to go after every ball hit even close to her.
Anna Sirohman, Louisville
Sirohman is the Leopards’ best hitter with a .388 average with 38 hits, 11 doubles, four home runs, 12 RBIs and 23 runs scored. She is known to strikeout a lot with 16 Ks and she has only drawn four walks so she is going to be swinging the bat at anything close. Could get her to chase stuff out of the zone to minimize damage.
Campbell Kiser, Madison
Kiser is all-out hustle at all times. She is hitting .347 with 34 hits, 11 doubles, a triple, 21 RBIs and 23 runs scored. She is patient at the plate with 13 walks and is a threat on the base paths with nine steals this season. She is also one of the best second basemen in the area who always wants the ball hit her way.
Leah Claugus, Louisville
Second-best hitter with a .347 average with 35 hits, 10 doubles, a triple, four home runs, 14 RBIs and 30 runs scored. She is also known to strikeout a lot with a team-leading 26 Ks this season to only eight walks. Like Sirohman, getting her to chase spinning stuff that drops out of the zone could be the best way to attack her.
Allie Shrader, Madison
Shrader swings a great bat and is hitting .416 with 42 hits, 12 doubles, three home runs, 38 RBIs and 18 runs scored. Shrader is ferocious at the plate and wants nothing more than to hit the ball hard. She is also a very underrated left fielder who made a game-saving play in the regional championship game when a throwing error went into left and she made a diving stop to make sure the ball didn’t get by her saving a run or two in a key situation. She has a lot of upside.
Shae O’Neill, Louisville
A .319 hitter with 22 hits, 11 RBIs, nine doubles and 12 runs scored, O’Neill could be the x-factor for the Leopards. If she can come in and be patient and get a good pitch to hit, she could come in clutch for a team that needs to score a bunch of runs to beat the Rams.
jfurr@usatodayco.com
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Breaking down Madison softball’s Division III state semifinal matchup
Reporting by Jake Furr, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jake Furr, Mansfield News Journal | USA TODAY Network
