The softball state tournament picture is complete, and eight central Ohio teams in six of the seven divisions are set to compete June 3-7 at Firestone Stadium in Akron.
Danville (Division VI) and Licking Valley (Division IV) won regional finals by the slimmest margins May 30 to become the last two entrants from the area.
Here are recaps of their regional finals:
Division VI
Danville 1, New Madison Tri-Village 0
Addy Bocock struck out 16, scattered two hits and walked one in Region 23 at Bellefontaine, and the Blue Devils (23-5) scored the game’s only run in the sixth inning to earn their first state berth since 2017 and third all-time.
Bocock’s first 13 outs were strikeouts.
Morgan Hinkens’ bunt single scored Kaylee Martin in the sixth. Martin reached on an error to start the inning and advanced to second on a Bocock single.
Danville will play Dalton in a state semifinal at 5:30 p.m. June 3.
Tri-Village (22-6) got the tying run on in the seventh on a one-out single, but Bocock got a strikeout and popout to end the game.
Division IV
Licking Valley 1, New Concord John Glenn 0
Emory Whisner got the Panthers (26-0) the only run they needed with a sacrifice fly in the third inning and took care of the rest in the circle, holding John Glenn (26-6) to three hits in Region 13 at Duncan Falls Philo.
Whisner struck out nine and walked two for Valley, which reached state for the first time since 2014. She also stranded runners at second and third to end the game.
The Panthers will play Bryan at 5:30 p.m. June 5.
High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at dpurpura@dispatch.com and at @dp_dispatch on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Danville, Licking Valley softball win OHSAA regional championships
Reporting by Dave Purpura, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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