Sophia Lopez double delivers Bradley softball's first state title 🥎
· Yahoo Sports
AKRON – Sophia Lopez began the scoring in the Division I state softball final with what, to that time, likely was the biggest hit of her life.
Visit afsport.lat for more information.
Hilliard Bradley’s junior center fielder hit a solo home run in the top of the first inning. She one-upped herself a few hours later, delivering a two-run double in the top of the seventh June 4 to give the Jaguars a 7-5 win over Lancaster at Firestone Stadium and the program’s first championship.
Bradley (27-5) won the first all-central Ohio state final in the big-school division and denied Lancaster (24-8) its first title. Both reached the season’s final game for the first time.
Aubrey Allen was hit on the helmet to start the top of the seventh. She advanced to second when Mickey Moody reached on an error, and both came in when Lopez doubled to center.
Lainey Dennison retired Lancaster in order in the bottom of the seventh, finishing 1⅔ perfect innings to seal the win. She struck out Mia Griggs to set off Bradley’s celebration.
The game was the fourth all-central Ohio final regardless of division.
It was followed immediately by the fifth, between Danville and West Jefferson in Division VI.
Bradley became central Ohio’s first Division I champion since Teays Valley in 2015.
After Lopez’s opening home run, Bradley added to its lead with three runs in the third and chased Lancaster starter Kileigh Rohr from the game.
Mickey Moody singled to left with one out, Sammie Moody followed with a bunt single that might have traveled 5 feet and Mickey Moody scored when Lopez’s grounder to shortstop was thrown over the third baseman for an error.
Taylor Nicholson smacked a two-run single up the middle to make it 4-0.
But two Bradley errors in as many at-bats with one out in the bottom of the third opened the door for Lancaster and eventually chased Mickey Moody, who struggled in the third for the second day in a row, from the game.
Lana Prince followed with an RBI single to left, Kendall Brown – a Miami University signee who homered three times in a regional final win – hit an RBI single to center and advanced to second on the throw and Rohr tied it on a two-run double to the gap in left center.
Hannah Smith singled Rohr home to give Lancaster a 5-4 lead.
Bradley tied it in the fourth on a Mickey Moody single.
This story will be updated.
High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at [email protected] and at @dp_dispatch on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Bradley softball wins first OHSAA state title on Sophia Lopez double