It was a day of explosive offense and dominant pitching as tournament play kicked off across the area on Monday, May 11. Leading the charge was Covington's Jayda McClure, who put on a show by launching two home runs to power the Lady Buccs to a commanding 23-1 victory over Catholic Central.
McClure was unstoppable at the plate, finishing a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs scored and five RBIs. She wasn't alone in the offensive fireworks, as teammates Ava Hartwig and Cassidy Iddings each collected three hits and drove in three runs apiece. The win improves Covington to an impressive 20-5 overall, and the Lady Buccs now set their sights on Jackson Center in a Wednesday, May 13 showdown.
Elsewhere in Division VII tournament action, Bradford rolled past Mississinawa Valley 12-7, while Fort Loramie shut out Triad 11-0. Fort Loramie will face Southeastern on Wednesday, and Bradford takes on Cedarville the same day.
On the baseball diamond, Centerville kept its red-hot streak alive, extending its win streak to 18 games with a 17-2 rout of Versailles. Ryan Muchmore tripled and drove in four runs, while Lucas Clark earned the win on the mound. The Elks, now 20-2, face a big week ahead: they host Miami Valley League champion Troy on Wednesday before heading to Great American Ballpark to take on Greater Catholic League Co-Ed champion Badin on Saturday.
Lakota East put up an eight-run second inning to fuel a 16-1 victory over Middletown, with Connor Magato and Ben Kuemmel delivering run-scoring extra-base hits. Fairfield edged Sycamore 7-6, thanks to Justin Hembree's three-hit night—including a home run—and Alex Brehm's 10-strikeout performance over six innings for his third win.
Lakota West's Noah Bramble was the star in an 8-4 win over Princeton, going 4-for-4 with a double, a home run, and five RBIs, while also tossing a complete game. Troy wrapped up the MVL Miami title outright with a 9-3 win over West Carrollton, finishing league play at 17-1 and improving to 20-1 overall.
Butler blanked Stebbins 17-0, with Jack Egbert going 3-for-3 and hitting a two-run homer, while Carson Perry and Logan Smith combined for the shutout to push Butler to 19-3. Tippecanoe pulled off a stunning comeback, rallying from a 10-2 deficit to beat Northmont 12-11, scoring 10 runs over the final three innings. Noah Fox, Carson Jackson, Brady Liskey, and Cayden McKinney each had multiple hits to fuel the rally.
Tecumseh's Brandon Radford struck out 11 in a complete-game 6-3 win over Chaminade Julienne. Badin kept its momentum rolling, winning its 14th straight game with a 7-2 victory over Moeller, improving to 18-3. Derek Ogden drove in a run with a double, and Caleb Driessen went the distance on the mound. Finally, Fenwick celebrated senior night with a 10-3 win over Middletown Madison, as Jude McCullough doubled twice and drove in three runs, and Ty Miller added a double with three RBIs. Brandon Ashley homered in the loss for Madison.