BY GREG GULAS
      Boardman News Sports
      bnews@zoominternet.net
      It has been 23 years since the Boardman Spartan girls’ softball team advanced to the State “Final Four.” The Lady Spartans went back-to-back-to-back from 2000-02, winning their lone state crown in 2001 after finishing second the previous season.
      Head coach Fred Mootz’s ’25 version of Spartans softball, currently 25-4 overall, is hoping to rewrite history after winning a Division III regional championship last week and advance to the program’s fourth-ever state appearance.
      The Lady Spartans defeated the Tallmadge Blue Devils, 2-0, in the regional semifinals last Thursday, then came back from a 1-0 deficit after five innings, scoring two runs in the sixth inning and another in the seventh inning on Saturday for a 3-1 win over Louisville (17-15-1) for their regional championship.
      Against Tallmadge (19-10), Boardman’s Tori Strines scattered five hits, struck out six and went the distance for the mound decision to lift the Lady Spartans into the regional title tilt.
      The Lady Spartans could manage just four hits of their own but they were productive ones with Alex Ward (double, run, RBI), Mikayla Rivera (double, RBI), Strines and Addie Rudge the offensive stalwarts.
      Ward and Mia Duble crossed the plate for the only runs of the game.
      Strines threw 98 pitches, of which 70 were strikes during her winning effort.
      Against the Leopards in the regional championship game, it was Strines once again shining on the hill, going the distance while scattering three hits for the complete game victory. She gave up one run, walked two and struck out eight enemy batters and closed-out Louisville on 15 pitches in the final stanza, sending two batters back to the dugout on strikeouts.
      Katelynn Miller tossed a complete game for Louisville, taking the mound loss while not allowing a hit until the fifth inning when Lady Spartan Kenzie Cherne notched a two-out double.
      Trailing 1-0 after five innings, Boardman plated two runs in the sixth inning to take a 2-1 lead (Strines and Ava Freeborough crossed the plate as Rudge had a sacrifice fly and Ward had an RBI single).
      Boardman added an insurance run in the seventh stanza on a Lacie Jurus two-out single that plated Duble for an insurance run.
      Strines (double, run) led Boardman’s offensive attack with two hits while Freeborough (run), Ward (RBI), Cherne (double) and Jurus added the other four hits.
      The Lady Spartans will take on Painesville Riverside (25-4) in a tune-up game at press time against the Div. II Beavers who have also advanced to Ohio Final Four action against Massillon Perry.
      The Lady Spartans will take on Holland Springfield (22-9) in the Division III state semifinals on Friday, June 6 at Akron Firestone Stadium.
      First-pitch is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
      Springfield reached the state finals with a 6-5 win over Madison, as Hannah Schlachter belted a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Blue Devils to the victory.
      Springfield’s rich softball history includes 22 sectional titles, and three regional crowns (2010, 2011 and 2022). They have never won a state title.
      The winner of the Boardman-Holland Springfield game will then meet the winner of the Dover-Mount Orab Western Brown contest on Saturday evening for the Ohio Div. III crown. Game time, also at Akron Firestone Stadium, is set for 8 p.m.
      Heading to the Final Four, Strines leads the Lady Spartans on the mound with a 14-2 mark that includes 101 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.93. She is backed-up by Gabi Sferra who has an 8-2 record with 77 strikeouts an ERA of 1.37.
      Rudge leads Boardman at the plate sporing a .473 average, Strines is batting at a .419 clip. Rivera has a batting average of .415, and Jurus is hitting .350 and Ward has a .337 average.
      Rudge, a freshman, is a first team All-Ohio pick; Rivera, a sophomore earned second team All-Ohio laurels and Strines, a senior has garnered All-Ohio honorable mention recognition.
      Upcoming Boardman Games
      Wednesday, June 4 – vs. Painesville Riverside, noon.
      Friday, June 6 – vs. Holland Springfield,, 12:30 p.m.
     
      PICTURED: BOARDMAN HIGH SCHOOL’S LADY SPARTANS staged a late game rally to claim a 3-1 win over Louisville and earn a berth in Final Four Ohio Div. III softball play. Celebrating the win from left are Gia Pizzo, Alex Ward and Tori Strines holding the trophy.