AKRON — Madison’s magical postseason run came to a heartbreaking end Friday afternoon in Akron.
The Rams battled toe-to-toe with Louisville for 10 innings before falling 3-2 in a Division III state semifinal at Firestone Stadium.
For a program making its first Final Four appearance in 31 years, Madison showed the grit and resilience that defined its tournament run, erasing an early deficit, surviving multiple jams and pushing the Leopards to extra innings before Louisville finally broke through in the 10th inning.
“They played their butts off and everyone in that stadium got their money’s worth today,” Madison coach Tim Niswander said.
“Getting here was hard — and they played really, really well. Louisville is a good team and they played just a little bit better than us.”
Louisville (18-13) struck quickly when Anna Sirohman launched a solo home run to dead center field in the top of the first inning for a 1-0 lead.
That would be the only blemish for Madison sophomore pitcher Caliyah Clapper for the next eight innings.
“As a pitcher, mentally, you just have to flush it [the first-inning home run] and trust your teammates,” Clapper said.
The righthander settled in after the homer and turned in another dominant postseason performance, striking out 11 batters while pitching all 10 innings.
Madison (16-15) finally broke through in the fourth.
Senior Campbell Kiser worked a one-out walk and stole second base before junior Makena Berkshire lined a two-out RBI single to right field, tying the game at 1-1.
Both teams continued trading zeroes as the game moved into the seventh.
The Rams nearly walked it off in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the seventh inning.
With one out, junior Izzy Wamsley crushed a ball over the left fielder’s head and raced into third with a triple. Madison moved within 60 feet of victory, but Louisville’s defense answered, recording the next two outs to force extra innings.
Neither team scored in the eighth or ninth.
Louisville finally broke through in the 10th using a series of singles, stolen bases and productive outs. The Leopards plated two runs to take a 3-1 advantage.
Madison refused to quit.
Leading off the bottom of the inning, sophomore Lexi Lewis drew a walk to ignite one final rally. After a strikeout, Kiser ripped a double into the left-center field gap, scoring Lewis and cutting the deficit to 3-2.
However, Louisville turned a pivotal play when Kiser was thrown out attempting to return to second after rounding the bag too aggressively, leaving the Rams down to their final out.
An error allowed Madison one last baserunner, but Louisville recorded the game’s final out moments later to secure the victory.
While the loss ended Madison’s season, it also capped one of the most memorable years in program history.
The Rams reached the state semifinals for just the second time ever and the first time since 1995. Along the way, they knocked off a series of highly regarded opponents and entered the state semifinal game outscoring their foes 25-4.
For Kiser, the lone senior on the roster, the journey was one she won’t soon forget.
“After the start of the season we had, it’s really cool to be able to end it here in Akron,” Kiser said.
The outlook for Madison remains bright.
Every player except Kiser is expected to return next season, including sophomore pitcher Caliyah Clapper and junior leadoff hitter Izzy Wamsley.
“I think [the future is] really bright,” Wamsley said. “We’ve got good freshmen coming up and that just adds to our lineup.”
Niswander said the support from the Madison community helped make the experience even more special.
“They’ve been amazing,” Niswander said. “Thanks to everyone. Thanks for coming out, sending us off, buying us food.
“I’m a Madison grad, I grew up in that community, so to walk out on the field and to see all those people out there is just amazing.”
After Clapper’s performance on the state’s biggest stage, Niswander believes the rest of Ohio now knows what Madison fans have known all season.
“I think everybody knows now,” Niswander said. “It’s been a little bit of a secret — but everyone knows now. That kid is an absolute dog and I wouldn’t trade her for anybody in the world.”
Louisville advances to the Division III state championship game, while Madison heads home with a regional title, a Final Four appearance and the foundation of a team that could find itself back in Akron again next spring.
