The two top-10 ranked teams from the Northern Lakes League's Buckeye Division — champion Anthony Wayne (25-1 overall, 12-0 NLL) and runner-up Perrysburg (24-4, 10-3) — are each headed to Clyde High School for separate regional softball semifinal matchups Wednesday.
No. 3 Anthony Wayne will take on unranked Brecksville-Broadview Heights (21-6) in a 4 p.m. semifinal, while No. 8 Perrysburg will open at 1 p.m. against unranked North Ridgeville (17-5).
The regional final is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday.
■ Anthony Wayne vs. Brecksville-Broadview Heights
Coach Ron Myers’ AW Generals, who are ranked 13th in the latest USA Today National prep poll, are playing in their fourth straight regional and are coming off a D-I state runner-up finish in 2023, a 30-1 season and No. 1 ranking in 2022, and a state semifinal appearance in 2021.
Prior to Monday’s regular-season game against Clay (a regular-season game Tuesday at Whitmer also remains), the Generals had outscored foes 253-32, an average of 9.7 to 1.2 per game.
“These seniors have won four district titles in their careers, so they definitely have the experience and know what this is about at this point in time,” coach Myers said. “That's given them huge experience, and that's valuable because at this point in regionals, everyone's good.
“Everybody that makes it to regionals is talented. There's no gimme games from this point forward, and usually the players at this level know each other from their travel-ball teams in the summer.”
The Generals, who are making their 12th regional appearance all-time, have carried a .429 team batting average. And, led by the 1-2 pitching punch of senior Kat Meyers (13-1, 0.41 earned run average, 133 strikeouts, 69 innings) and junior Molly Conner (11-0, 1.11, 175 strikeouts, 82 innings), has an 0.72 team ERA.
AW, 110-12 overall since 2021, has been led offensively by two fourth-year starters — outfielder Essence Dobbelaere-Buchman, who is hitting .576 with 27 runs batted in and 36 runs scored, and shortstop/leadoff hitter Abby Kennelly, an Ohio University signee who is hitting .568 with 40 runs and 35 stolen bases.
Kennelly's 240 career hits rank No. 5 in Ohio high school softball history.
Other top Generals offensively include Conner (.488, 6 home runs, 43 RBI), senior Ohio University-bound second baseman/pitcher Ally Meyers (.468, 2 HR, 27 RBIs), sophomore third baseman Megan Sumner (.442, 4 HR, 27 RBIs, 32 runs), and fourth-year starting catcher Trinity Nowicki (.375, 3 HR, 27 RBIs).
Brecksville's Bees are led by senior pitcher and top hitter Anna Wise, who like Kennelly and Ally Meyers is headed to Ohio U.
The Bees' other top hitters include senior Zoe Parks, junior Gianna Roth, sophomore Rowan Weber, and freshmen Gabby Rowan and Tess Cozza.
Brecksville has reached the D-I regionals eight times in 16 years (2009, 2014-16, 2018-19, 2023-24), but has yet to advance to state.
■ Perrysburg vs. North Ridgeville
The Yellow Jackets of 15th-year Perrysburg coach Ryan DeMars are making their ninth trip to a regional, having won a state title in 1991, finished as runner-up in 1990, and made the state semifinals in 2018, when they were 29-2 and ranked No. 3 in Ohio.
Perrysburg is led offensively by center fielder Jessica Miller (.560, 7 HR, 46 RBIs), who hit a walk-off home run in the Jackets' 9-8 district-final win over Springfield last Friday, right fielder Yesenia You (.547, 36 runs), shortstop and Florida State University commit Hayley Griggs (.516, 12 HR, 39 RBIs, 54 runs), designated player Kylynn Thomas (.480, 5 HR, 32 RBIs), first baseman Aly Seuberling (.415, 2 HR, 22 RBIs), and pitcher Maison Gerrard (.402, 35 RBIs).
Gerrard is 11-3 in the circle, with a 3.12 ERA, and Maddie Von Sacken is 13-1 with a 2.05 ERA.
“It was a culmination of the work this team has put in since the preseason, and the seniors who came in and played as freshmen and were competitive right out of the gate,” DeMars said of edging Springfield to advance. “Last year, right after we lost to Springfield in the district, some of our juniors then were like, 'Next year, we are sweeping them, and we are going to win a district title.'
“That was something they definitely wanted to do, and they were able to accomplish that. I'm super proud of the entire team, and the leadership of our seniors. It has been an enjoyable ride to watch the girls play.”
North Ridgeville's Rangers are led by junior pitcher Naomi Bottomlee, who has hit .500, along with senior shortstop Kasey Timko (.456), and juniors Molly Walton (3B, .426), Kasey Melvin (1B, .426), Bella Kucirek (OF, .351), and Gabby Thibodeaux (catcher, .333).
Like AW, North Ridgeville is playing in its fourth straight regional.
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