Two titles will be awarded on Thursday in Ohio high school softball, with one team pursuing to complete a perfect season.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association’s softball championships in Division IV and Division VII will take place Thursday afternoon in Akron at historic Firestone Stadium, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
In the first of the two championship games, Springfield Kenton Ridge is seeking to achieve perfection as the Cougars square off against Hillsboro.
The Cougars come in at 31-0 and in their first state final since 2013. On Wednesday, they rallied with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Lexington, 4-3, in the semifinals, with Jayden Davis walking things off with an RBI single. Davis went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs.
Hillsboro (23-3) defeated Cortland Lakeview in its semifinal matchup, 7-1, as Isabelle Brunck went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs. Chloe Roberts also went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Then in the Division VII title game, Monroeville takes on Portsmouth Notre Dame.
Monroeville (27-3) is in the title game for the second straight year by virtue of its 4-2 win against Sycamore Mohawk. Madison Reiber provided the difference with a two-RBI home run in the third.
As for Portsmouth Notre Dame (27-3), the Lady Titans downed Covington, 9-2. Alayla Soard had two hits and drove in five runs, including a homer. Bella Rush also was 3-for-4 with a run scored.
Five more state titles will be awarded the remainder of the week: The Division V championship on Friday, the Division III championship on Saturday and the Division VI, II and I title games on Sunday.
Here’s everything you need to know about live streaming the Ohio Division IV and VII championship games.
How to watch the OHSAA Division IV, VII state championship softball games
•. Live Stream Division IV: Watch on the NFHS Network.
•. Live Stream Division VII: Watch on the NFHS Network.
The OHSAA Division IV and VII title games will air live on the NFHS Network. You can subscribe to the NFHS Network on a monthly basis or an annual subscription.
OHSAA softball start times
•. Division IV Date: Thursday, June 5
•. Division IV Time: 3 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT
•. Division VII Date: Thursday, June 5
•. Division VII Time: 5:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT
The first pitch for the Division IV title game between Springfield Kenton Ridge and Hillsboro is at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, and first pitch for the Division VII title game between Monroeville and Portsmouth Notre Dame is at 5:30 p.m. ET, also on Thursday. Both games will take place at Firestone Stadium in Akron.