CLYDE — The Lexington Lady Lex are back in the state final four for the first time in 23 years.
After a 6-1 revenge win over Bryan on Friday night at Clyde High School, Lady Lex brought home the first regional championship trophy since the 2002 season a year after falling to the Golden Bears in the Division II regional final a year ago.
Lady Lex (24-3) got on the board early in the top of the first after Alexis Cantrell drew a one-out walk and was followed by Makaree Chapman getting hit by a pitch to put two on. After a strikeout put two outs on the board, freshman Mariana Molton blasted a three-run home run to left field to give Lady Lex all of the momentum.
Lex added a run in the second when Kylie Thornton drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 4-0 before Molton added her fourth RBI of the game with a groundout to third to score Quinn Patrick, making it 5-0 after the top of the second.
In the third, Patrick delivered an RBI single scoring Addy Williams, who doubled earlier in the inning, to put Lex ahead 6-0, more than enough runs for senior pitcher Makaree Chapman. She worked a complete game allowing one run on three hits with 12 strikeouts for her 24th victory of the season.
Patrick had two hits in the game while Monton, Camryn McGuire, Williams and Madyson Taylor had one hit apiece. Molton had four RBIs while Patrick and Thornton had one apiece.
The two starting pitchers combined for 27 strikeouts.
Lexington will play the winner of Newark Licking Valley and Springfield Kenton Ridge at 10 a.m. on Wednesday in the Division IV state semifinal at Akron’s Firestone Stadium as Lady Lex makes its first appearance in a state semifinal in nearly two and a half decades.
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: State Bound! Lexington wins first softball regional championship since 2002
Reporting by Jake Furr, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
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