The OHSAA softball tournament is reaching its Sweet 16, as the regional tournament begins this week. Only two Stark County teams have survived the grueling district tournament and made it to this point — the Tuslaw Mustangs and Central Catholic Crusaders. They will continue their push toward the state tournament this week.
Here are five questions that will be answered this week by the Mustangs and Crusaders, who each play regional semifinals on Tuesday.
Is Camryn Kiefer the best Greater Canton player left in the OHSAA tournament?
It might be hard to argue against Kiefer being the best individual player left on the two teams in the OHSAA tournament. Kiefer is the starting pitcher and also the top hitter for Tuslaw heading into its regional semifinal against South Range at 2 p.m. Wednesday, at the Roehm Athletic Complex in Berea. Kiefer is hitting .482 with 11 home runs, 32 RBIs and 22 runs this season. She was also 7-6 with a 1.52 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 91.2 innings pitched at last check. Playing in the PAC-7 and facing quality lineups should have Kiefer well prepared this week.
Did a tough district prepare Tuslaw for South Range in Division III?
Tuslaw is no stranger to playing the underdog role or facing a tough team. This will be the case again with the Mustangs set to face South Range in its regional semifinal. Tuslaw's district tournament experience should have it well prepared. The Mustangs were the lower seed in all three of their district games. Tuslaw has a lineup capable of making the most seasoned pitcher sweat with players such as Kiefer, Kylie Johnson (.452 batting average), Danica Crescenze (..409) and Annabelle Liebig (20 RBIs) all playing well.
Will South Range keep rolling?
South Range is no stranger to this stage of the tournament. The Raiders have won five consecutive district championships and have reached the state tournament in Akron two of the last three years. South Range has a potent lineup capable of putting up double digits in the run column against even the best pitchers. Caitlynn Pleska, Heidi Bartels, Jayli Wilt and Keira Brogan lead the way. The four helped the Raiders score 33 runs over three games in the sectional-district tournament. Wilt is also the starting pitcher for South Range. One thing to keep in mind: The team that kept South Range from reaching three consecutive state tournaments was the 2022 Tuslaw Mustangs . Tuslaw beat the Raiders 6-1 in a regional semifinal that year. The Mustangs went on to reach the state tournament.
Can Central Catholic pull another upset in Division IV?
Offense has been the key in helping No. 13-seeded Central Catholic reach this point. To say the Crusaders have been hitting the ball well is an understatement. They scored 41 runs in three games on the way to pulling three upsets and winning a district championship with a 19-9 win over Jackson-Milton. Avery McMahon (.419), Laurel McMahon (.553), Presley Trbovich (.526) and Violet Ellerbrock (.421) are among their key hitters Mogadore must contend with in the regional semifinal at 2 p.m. Wednesday, at Roehm Athletic Complex in Berea.
Can the Crusaders get a read on Katie Gardner?
Something will have to give in Central Catholic's regional semifinal matchup against Mogadore. Pitcher Katie Gardner has yet to allow a run in the OHSAA tournament over three games. In fact, she has held opponents hitless in 16 of the last 17 innings she has pitched in tournament play. Strength will meet strength in this intriguing matchup.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: OHSAA softball | 5 questions awaiting Canton Central Catholic, Tuslaw in regionals
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