BELLVILLE — Jenna Hochanadel could have lost her cool May 27, but the senior center fielder stayed centered.
Hochanadel made the most of a second chance and helped hit the Johnstown softball team to within reach of the state tournament. Hochanadel knocked in five runs, leading the Johnnies to a 14-3 victory against Paulding (17-6) in a Division V regional semifinal.
“When I struck out my first at-bat, I can’t lie, it was kind of embarrassing,” Hochanadel said. “I found a cross on the ground a long time ago when I was deciding what college to go to, and I actually put that in my back pocket today. I think God was the reason I got past that first at-bat. I stayed calm. I prayed to him throughout the game, and, of course, my teammates are always there for me.”
Johnstown (23-6-1) plays Liberty Union (25-1) for a regional title at 7:30 p.m. May 29 at Berne Union. The Lions outlasted Archbold 5-1, securing their semifinal victory on Ryleigh Brown’s grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning.
The Johnnies did not wait for a 10th inning rally thanks to their relentless attack. Freshman Violet Wentzel in the first inning and Hochanadel in the second each hit two-out, two-run singles early, and junior Lucia Kuhn touched off an eight-run seventh-inning eruption with a two-run home run.
“Honestly, I can’t feel anything but happy right now. I am just so proud of every single girl,” Hochanadel said. “I didn’t expect this. I didn’t expect to come out and almost run-rule them. I am just excited.”
Johnstown, playing in its fourth regional tournament since 2016, remains unbeaten in the semifinals and will attempt to earn the program’s fourth trip to state. Liberty Union won the Division III state title in 2024 and finished as Division V state runner-up to Wheelersburg a year ago.
Paulding scored twice in the third inning and once in the fourth, hitting three extra-base hits off Kuhn, a hard-throwing right-hander. She, however, locked in and shut out the Panthers the rest of the way, receiving a running catch in left field from junior Emma McGeehan in the sixth.
“I really trust my defense,” said Kuhn, who struck out six and scattered nine hits. “If one gets past them, I know they will get the next one. We all just really believe in each other.”
Senior Addy Zak piled up four of the Johnnies’ 16 hits, surpassing 150 for her career. Hochanadel and Wentzel added three apiece, and McGeehan and sophomore Brooklyn Wood each scored a pair of runs out of the Nos. 7 and 8 spots in the batting order.
Johnstown last reached the state tournament in 2023 when Zak was a freshman starter. In their first season under coach Mike Triplett, the Johnnies have an opportunity to return.
“This feels amazing. We have worked so hard from February until now,” Kuhn said. “We have made so many adjustments and become a really close team. We are like family.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Johnstown hits its way to regional softball final
Reporting by Kurt Snyder, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
