LANCASTER – The deeper teams get in the tournament, the games usually get tougher and can turn into nailbiters.
Don’t tell that to the Lancaster, Bloom-Carroll, and Liberty Union softball teams. They not only won their regional championship games, but they dominated.
The Golden Gales, Bulldogs, and Lions will look to take that momentum into the Ohio High School Athletic Association state softball tournament, which gets underway June 3 and concludes June 7 at Akron’s Firestone Stadium.
Lancaster pounded out 17 hits and cruised to a 14-5 win over Grove City in its Division I regional title win, while the Bulldogs pounded Jonathan Alder 15-0 in the Division III regional championship, and Liberty Union topped Johnston 9-2 in the Division V regional title game.
After reaching the final four for the first time in school history a year ago, Lancaster is making a return trip. The Bulldogs will be making their seventh appearance in the state tournament. Bloom-Carroll has won three state championships (2006, 2007, 2013) and finished as state runner-up three times (2012, 2014, 2015). Liberty Union will be making its third consecutive trip to the final four. The Lions won the Division III state championship in 2024 and were state runners-up a year ago.
Here is a closer look at each team.
Lancaster Golden Gales
Division I
Head coach: Allie Kinniard
Record: 23-7 (have won 18 straight games)
Tournament trail: Beat Reynoldsburg 26-1; Marysville 17-11; Lakewood 5-1; Grove City 14-5.
Players to watch: Kendall Brown, Hailey Rings, Mia Griggs, Kileigh Rohr, JoJo Sheets.
Bloom-Carroll Bulldogs
Division III
Head Coach: Chris Lucas
Record: 24-4 (Ranked No. 5 in the State; have won 17 straight games)
Tournament trail: Beat Whitehall 22-0; Columbus South 22-0; Hamilton Township 7-0; Dover 3-2; Jonathan Alder 15-0.
Players to watch: Madelyn Gates, Emma Brandt, Maddi Walters, Addison Brown, Gabby Johnson.
Liberty Union Lions
Division V
Coach Shaun Hochradel
Record: 26-1 (Ranked No. 1 in the State)
Tournament trail: Beat Harvest Prep 26-0; Madison Plains 13-0; Galion Northmor 2-1; Archbold 5-1; Johnstown 9-2.
Players to watch: Suzie Shultz, Eden Wilson, Haedan Brunty, Ryleigh Brown, Alexis McCoy.
2026 OHSAA Softball State Tournament Pairings
Home team listed first
All games at Firestone Stadium, Akron
Wednesday, June 3
Division I Semifinal #1 (10 a.m.): No. 1 Austintown-Fitch vs. Lancaster
Division I Semifinal #2 (12:30 p.m.): No. 3 Centerville vs. No. 2 Hilliard Bradley
Division VI Semifinal #1 (3 p.m.): West Jefferson vs. No. 6 Van Wert Lincolnview
Division VI Semifinal #2 (5:30 p.m.): No. 5 Danville vs. Dalton
Thursday, June 4
Division VII Semifinal #1 (10 a.m.): Cortland Maplewood vs. No. 6 South Charleston Southeastern
Division VII Semifinal #2 (12:30 p.m.): No. 2 Sycamore Mohawk vs. No. 3 Portsmouth Notre Dame
Division I Championship (3 p.m.)
Division VI Championship (5:30 p.m.)
Friday, June 5
Division III Semifinal #1 (10 a.m.): Mansfield Madison Comprehensive vs. Louisville
Division III Semifinal #2 (12:30 p.m.): No. 5 Carroll Bloom-Carroll vs. No. 2 Greenville
Division IV Semifinal #1 (3 p.m.): No. 1 Springfield Kenton Ridge vs. Mogadore Field
Division IV Semifinal #2 (5:30 p.m.): No. 3 Bryan vs. No. 2 Newark Licking Valley
Division VII Championship (8 p.m.)
Saturday, June 6
Division V Semifinal #1 (10 a.m.): No. 4 Casstown Miami East vs. No. 2 Wheelersburg
Division V Semifinal #2 (12:30 p.m.): No. 1 Baltimore Liberty-Union vs. No. 10 Canfield South Range
Division II Semifinal #1 (3 p.m.): No. 7 Kings Mills Kings vs. No. 3 Painesville Riverside
Division II Semifinal #2 (5:30 p.m.): No. 6 Westerville Central vs. No. 2 Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit
Division III Championship (8 p.m.)
Sunday, June 7
Division IV Championship (11 a.m.)
Division V Championship (1:30 p.m.)
Division II Championship (4 p.m.)
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at twilson@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on X at twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Lancaster, B-C, and Liberty Union head into the state tournament on a high note
Reporting by Tom Wilson, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette / Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
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