ASHLAND — Not since the salad days of softball superstar Sunny Litteral have the Madison Rams reached the state tournament.
That was 31 years ago, in the spring of 1995 with coach Mike Leeper leading the charge featuring Litteral, the future four-time Ashland University All-American bolstering the meat of the batting order.
The cast of characters has changed dramatically since then, but coach Tim Niswander and the Rams broke through on Friday night at Ashland University. Madison became one of the more remarkable Cinderella stories on the local softball scene after it knocked off Uniontown Lake 3-1 in a pressure-packed Division III Elite Eight clash to earn a ticket to the Final Four.
This time it was pitcher Caliyah Clapper doing the damage on the mound and at the plate.
The Madison ace fired a complete game, fanning nine without a walk and scattering five hits. At the plate she went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
Leadoff hitter Izzy Wamsly scored a pair of runs, Avery O’Brien added a run, and Lexi Lewis had a key sacrifice bunt in the first inning.
The Rams had just four hits, with Makena Berkshire contributing a hit, but were efficient with the baseruners they managed.
Blue Streaks pitcher Gianna Greathouse was the tough-luck losing pitcher. She fanned 12 and walked four while going the distance.
Madison took control from the first inning. Wamsley reached on a walk, then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Wamsley kept going on the play when third base was uncovered, and a throwing error scored her.
The Rams doubled the lead in the fifth when O’Brien walked and again advanced on a Lewis bunt. Clapper’s infield hit drove home O’Brien for a 2-0 margin.
The Sailors sliced the gap in half in the bottom of the sixth, but Madison responded with their final tally in the top of the seventh.
Wamsley walked again and Lewis dropped another bunt to push the leadoff hitter to second. Clapper’s final RBI was the final run of the game.
The Rams will take a 16-14 record to Akron where they will meet Louisville at 10 a.m. on June 5 at Akron’s Firestone Stadium.
(Photos courtesy of Jennifer Branstetter)
