It was a day of explosive offense and dominant pitching across the area as tournament play kicked off with a bang. Leading the charge, Covington's Jayda McClure put on a show, crushing two home runs in a 23-1 rout of Catholic Central. McClure was unstoppable at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs scored and five RBIs, while teammates Ava Hartwig and Cassidy Iddings each chipped in with three hits and three RBIs of their own. The win pushes the Lady Buccs to 20-5 on the season, and they'll look to keep their momentum rolling against Jackson Center on Wednesday.
In other Division VII action, Bradford edged out Mississinawa Valley 12-7, while Fort Loramie shut down Triad with an 11-0 victory. Both teams will be back in action Wednesday, with Bradford taking on Cedarville and Fort Loramie facing Southeastern.
Over on the baseball diamond, Centerville continued their hot streak, extending their win streak to 18 games with a 17-2 win over Versailles. Ryan Muchmore tripled and drove in four runs, while Lucas Clark picked up the win. The Elks, now 20-2, are gearing up for a tough week ahead, hosting MVL champion Troy on Wednesday before heading to Great American Ballpark to take on GCL Co-Ed champs Badin on Saturday.
Lakota East used an eight-run second inning to blow past Middletown 16-1, with Connor Magato and Ben Kuemmel delivering key extra-base hits. Fairfield edged Sycamore 7-6 thanks to Justin Hembree's three-hit performance, including a home run, and Alex Brehm's 10-strikeout effort over six innings for his third win of the season.
Lakota West's Noah Bramble was the star of the show, going 4-for-4 with a double, a home run, and five RBIs while also throwing a complete game to beat Princeton 8-4. Troy clinched 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's Jack Egbert went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer, and the duo of Carson Perry and Logan Smith combined for a shutout in a 17-0 win over Stebbins. Tippecanoe staged a dramatic comeback, rallying from an 10-2 deficit with 10 runs over the final three innings to beat Northmont 12-11. Noah Fox, Carson Jackson, Brady Liskey, and Cayden McKinney led the charge with multiple hits.
On the mound, Tecumseh's Brandon Radford struck out 11 in a complete-game 6-3 win over Chaminade Julienne. Badin extended their win streak to 14 games with a 7-2 victory over Moeller, as Derek Ogden drove in a run with a double and Caleb Driessen tossed a complete game to improve the Rams to 18-3. Finally, Fenwick celebrated senior night in style, with Jude McCullough doubling twice and driving in three runs, and Ty Miller adding a double and three RBIs in a 10-3 win over Middletown Madison. Brandon Ashley homered in the loss for Madison.