Tallmadge dominates Maumee, advances to OHSAA softball state tournament

The Tallmadge softball team punched its ticket to the 2023 Division II state tournament Friday night in New Riegel.

Senior Marley Queen collected three hits — including a solo home run — and scored two runs and sophomore Leila Staszak had two singles, three RBIs and scored a run to lead Tallmadge to a 10-5 win over Maumee in a Division II regional final.

Tallmadge (23-8), which totaled 13 hits, will return to Summit County to play at Akron’s Firestone Stadium in a state semifinal against Greenville at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The Blue Devils are seeking their eighth state title.

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“We actually were kind of joking about getting to come back home for the state tournament,” Tallmadge coach Brittany Lightel said. “My athletic director [Bill Johnson] said we traveled over 600 miles for the district and regional games just to come back and play right down the road for the state tournament.

“The girls were so excited today for this game. They were very much in their element. Their energy was great and they were so pumped up. That is what we told them they had to have from the last game when their energy was fantastic [in a 7-3 regional semifinal win over Bryan on Wednesday]. We were like, ‘We have got to keep this going.’”

Johnson said Tallmadge players, coaches and fans traveled 687.6 miles the past two weeks for two district games in Parma and two regional games in New Riegel.

“We had 20 players and four coaches on the bus,” Lightel said. “Regionals when I played [at Tallmadge] was at Firestone Stadium. I never traveled this much with a high school team. College is a little bit different, but these kids travel well. We get to the games early and they have their music going and their energy has been great.”

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The Blue Devils scored four runs in the third inning, two runs in the fifth and four runs in the sixth Friday to take a 10-2 lead into the seventh.

“The girls put the ball in play, and they put the ball in play hard,” Lightel said.

Queen's home run, her third this season and ninth in her varsity career, came in the sixth inning over the left center field fence.

“Marley’s hit was huge and it was smoked,” Lightel said. “… She is a player, and I kind of expect that from her. I am happy she had the game that she had.”

The Panthers scored three runs in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough as the Blue Devils continued their tournament journey without senior Zoe Rensel, one of the best players in Ohio who has been out with an injury since the middle of April.

“It feels amazing to advance to the state tournament,” Queen said. “We have worked so hard and we have played together since we were little. It feels awesome to be in this position and in these games.”

Tallmadge junior ace Riley Jackson (14-5) struck out 12 and pitched a complete game. Jackson allowed two earned runs, six hits and five walks.

Junior Sydney Becks hit three singles and scored a run and senior Emma Garbinsky hit two singles and scored two runs for Tallmadge.

“We have really come together on the field and off the field, especially with the bus rides,” Becks said. “Those give us a chance to become closer, and on the field it has been perfect most of the time.”

Junior Lexi Gray (single, run, RBI), senior Jocelyn Caffelle (single, RBI), junior Mia Zappola (single, run, RBI), sophomore Gabby Harp (run), junior Ashlyn Severns (run) and sophomore Katie Huth (RBI) were other key contributors for Tallmadge.

“I am very excited to play in the state tournament,” Garbinsky said. “We have been working so hard and it feels like our hard work is finally paying off. It is also really cool that this is my senior season, so I am really excited to keep going.”

Maumee finished with seven errors and Tallmadge made five errors.

Defense wasn’t an issue Wednesday when Tallmadge and Bryan each had one error.

Jackson struck out six and allowed two earned runs in a complete game against Bryan. Gray hit two doubles, scored two runs and had an RBI. Garbinsky totaled two hits, two RBIs and a run, Staszak and Becks both had two hits, one RBI and one run, Queen had two hits and a run and Huth contributed one hit, one run and one RBI.

“We are staying together, staying up as a team and we know that we have each other’s backs,” Staszak said. “… I broke my wrist earlier in the season [in a game on April 8 against Hillsdale] and Zoe Rensel, one of our best players is also out with a torn labrum. We were out and the team still managed to win a ton of games. They were able to still have each other’s backs, play up and keep the season going.”

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Tallmadge seeks eighth OHSAA softball state championship

Tallmadge is set to make its 16th state tournament appearance in softball.

Tallmadge has won seven state championships: Class AAA in 1981 and 1987, Class AA in 1988 and 1989 and Division II in 1993, 1997 and 1998.

Dave Harris coached the 1981 team, Roger Howard coached the 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1993 teams and Don Duffy coached the 1997 and 1998 teams.

The Blue Devils were state runners-up in Class AAA in 1983 and in Division II in 1990 and 1995.

Coach Brittany Lightel was a sophomore player on Tallmadge’s 2009 Division II state semifinal team and her sister, Kirsten Lightel, was a senior player on Tallmadge’s 2014 Division II state semifinal team. Current assistant coach Ed Seeker was the coach of both of those teams.

Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Riley Jackson pitches Tallmadge to OHSAA softball regional title