BALTIMORE — The Liberty Union softball team has been there before, and thanks to that ultra-successful tournament experience the last two seasons, they are not taking anything for granted, regardless of the opponent.
On Monday, May 18, the top-seeded Lions, who are ranked No. 1 in the state, hosted 12-seed Madison Plains in a Division V Central District semifinal, and the Lions were in attack mode from the start. They scored 10 runs in the first inning, and sophomore pitcher Eden Wilson was perfect in the circle in a 13-0, five-inning victory.
Liberty Union won the school’s first-ever state championship in 2024, then followed it up with a state runner-up finish in 2025, and they have their sights set on making another return trip to Akron, the site of the state tournament. However, they fully understand that it is a process and they can’t take anything for granted.
The Lions (23-1) will play Galion Northmor in a district championship game at 2 p.m. May 21 at Pickerington North.
“Our coaches make sure we understand that it’s all gas, no brakes, because anything can happen on any given day,” senior catcher Emilyn Kanet said. “It doesn’t matter who your opponent is; if we slow down, it is going to affect the next game. We have to play every game as hard as we can.”
Senior Suzie Shultz, who was the winning pitcher in the Lions’ state title win, echoed those thoughts.
“Anyone can win on any given day, so we cannot afford to play as hard as we can for certain opponents,” Shultz said. “We have to stay locked from the first pitch to the last, no matter who we are playing.”
Having the experience of knowing what it takes is a huge plus for the Lions.
“We have been around, so we know what the whole tournament feels like,” Shultz said. “It’s like a whole new season, honestly. It really doesn’t matter how you did during the regular season, good or bad, you are starting a brand-new season, so having that experience is nice.”
Wilson was masterful in the circle against the Eagles, who made contact only twice in five innings, both groundouts. She finished with 13 strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter.
After Wilson struck out the side in the first inning, her teammates gave her all the help she needed by plating runs in the first inning. Suzie Shultz led the way by hitting a pair of two-run home runs, and her sister, freshman Izzie Shultz, also had a two-run home run in the first inning.
The Lions sent 16 batters to the plate in the first inning. Alexis McCoy had a solo home run in the second inning. It was the Lions’ 52nd home run of the season as a team.
McCoy led Liberty Union’s 14-hit attack by going 3-for-3, and she added a double and scored four runs. Suzie Shultz had three hits, including a double and four RBIs. Haedan Brunty chipped in two hits, including a triple and three RBIs. Kanet and Izzie Shultz finished with two hits each.
“I wouldn’t say there is a sense of urgency with us as much as there is a hunger,” Kanet said. “We want to end on a good note and leave it all on the field. We know at this point, it’s win or go home. One mistake can lose us a ball game, so we know at this point, we have to give it our all and play to the best of our abilities.”
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: Liberty Union’s Wilson fires a perfect game in tourney win over Eagles
Reporting by Tom Wilson, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette / Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
