As the 2011 softball season wound down, regional finals were as far as any area team could reach before hitting a tournament roadblock.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment was felt by Northwest Ohio Athletic League champion Archbold (25-2 overall, 8-0 NWOAL). Ohio's top-ranked Division III team dropped just two games all season long, and both of those came against 10th-ranked Elmwood (25-4, 11-0), winner of the final Suburban Lakes League title.
The second Elmwood win over the Blue Streaks was by a 2-0 count at Ashland in a regional semifinal. The Royals then fell 5-3 against eighth-ranked Bellville Clear Fork in the regional final.
Elmwood was led by pitcher Marissa Lee (22-4, 1.12 ERA, 199 strikeouts) and offensively by Brittany George (.392, 21 RBIs) and Morgan Arnold (.360, two HR, 26 RBIs).
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Archbold was paced during the season by pitcher Sarah Wyse (22-3 record, 1.13 ERA, 263 strikeouts), and at the plate by Alyssa Schaub (.500 batting average, two HR, 19 RBIs) and Courtney Day (.457, five HR, 30 RBIs).
The regional final was also the stopping point for Southview (21-8, 9-5) of the talent-rich Northern Lakes League, which had beaten NLL foe Bowling Green 6-1 in the regional semis to advance to its second regional final. The end of the road for the Cougars came against second-ranked Elyria by a 7-4 count at Clyde. BG had advanced by upsetting repeat NLL champion Anthony Wayne 3-2 in their regional semifinal contest.
Southview was led by pitcher Olivia O'Reilly (13-2, 0.97 ERA, 123 strikeouts, .388 batting average, three HR, 23 RBIs) and catcher Jess Knepper (.453, two HR, 13 RBIs).
Anthony Wayne (25-4, 12-2) was paced by the pitching of Emily Kurfis (22-4, 0.93 ERA, 261 strikeouts), and the hitting of Sarah Bores (.416, two HR, 17 RBIs) and Jamie Westenkirchner (.398, five HR, 28 RBIs).
The highly competitive NLL also included Perrysburg (21-6, 10-4), which got solid plate production from Lindsay Rich (.493, six HR, 27 RBIs) and Kimmy Granata (.450, eight HR, 24 RBIs). Rich was also 18-6 with a 1.02 ERA and 264 strikeouts in the pitching circle.
In their final year in the City League, top-seeded Notre Dame (19-8, 10-0), Central Catholic (19-8, 8-2), Clay and Whitmer composed the last final-four playoff field. All four schools will all join the new Three Rivers Athletic Conference this fall.
Notre Dame captured the CL playoff crown, topping Central 3-1 in the title game behind the pitching of freshman reliever and league playoff MVP Cassie Gillespie.
Gillespie led the Eagles at the plate during the season (.417, nine HR, 31 RBIs) along with catcher Bitty Treece (.421, five HR, 27 RBIs). Central was paced by the pitching of CL ace Erin Seiler (16-8, 0.99 ERA, 306 strikeouts).
Northwood (18-7, 7-1) and Ottawa Hills (14-5, 7-1) shared the Toledo Area Athletic Conference title, with Northwood led by the hitting of Cindy Szyperski (.388, two HR, 20 RBIs) and Sam Brisbin (.388, 19 RBIs) and the pitching of Jordan Edwards (12-7, 3.15 ERA, 54 strikeouts), and Ottawa Hills paced offensively by Lauren Abendroth (.455, three HR, 26 RBIs) and Tessa Deckabach (.455, 23 RBIs) and in the circle by Natalie Temme (14-5, 1.39 ERA, 111 strikeouts).
Fremont St. Joseph (19-7) of the Midland Athletic League reached a regional final in Division IV before falling 7-2 to fifth-ranked Convoy Crestview.
First Published June 9, 2011, 3:56 a.m.