WILLARD — Lady Lex is headed back to the Sweet 16.
Makaree Chapman twirled a complete-game five-hitter and helped herself with a pair of hits as top-seeded Lexington dispatched No. 2 Clear Fork 7-1 in Thursday’s Division II Willard district championship game.
Lady Lex (26-2) will play Akron Springfield in the Shelby regional semifinals at 5 p.m. May 22. Springfield beat Oberlin Firelands 10-2 at Cuyahoga Community College in Parma on Thursday.
Lexington last reached the regional tournament in 2022. Lady Lex advanced to the Elite Eight that year before falling to Oak Harbor in the regional final.
With Chapman leading the charge, Lexington beat Clear Fork (17-8) for the third time this season. The junior left-hander scattered five hits and struck out nine in the complete-game victory.
The Colts took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Mya Perry doubled with two out and scored on the first of Renee Anders’ two base hits.
Lexington answered in the home half of the inning when speedy leadoff hitter Jillian Morr singled to center, advanced to second on Quinn Patrick’s sacrifice bunt and took third on Kylie Galownia’s groundout. Chapman plated Morr with a single to center to make it 1-1.
Lady Lex scored three runs in the second to take command. Kylie Thornton drew a leadoff walk and eventually scored on a two-out Clear Fork error. Back-to-back singles by Patrick and Galownia plated two more runs as Lexington opened a 4-1 lead.
After Chapman retired Clear Fork in order in the top of the third, Lady Lex added on in the bottom of the inning. Kaylie Eichorn drew a leadoff walk, took second on Thornton’s groundout and came around to score when Madyson Taylor’s sacrifice bunt was misplayed for an error.
Lex put it away with two in the fifth. Chapman led off with a double to right and scored on Eichorn’s double to center. Thornton plated Eichorn with a single to center to make it 7-1.
Chapman was 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and a run batted in. Morr, Patrick, Galownia, Eichorn, Thornton and Rylie McGuire each had a hit.
Anders accounted for two of Clear Fork’s five hits. Perry doubled while Jade Brokaw and Hailly Thrush each had a hit.
Miley Shafer worked the first six innings for the Colts. The freshman gave up all seven runs, but only three were earned.