AKRON — Two Cinderellas will grab for the glass slipper Friday when Madison takes on Louisville in the Division III state softball semifinals.
The Rams and Leopards combined have lost 27 games this season with respective records of 16-14 and 17-13. Both entered the post-season with losing records.
But both are now just two wins from softball immortality.
Madison won its first regional title since 1995 on Friday with a 3-1 win against Uniontown Lake (20-7).
Louisville blanked Akron Hoban (23-6) on Friday in a regional final game, winning 8-0, at Akron Firestone Stadium. It avenged a 3-2 loss to Hoban earlier this season.
The state semifinal game starts at 10 a.m. at Akron Firestone Stadium. The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced all of the state softball pairings on Sunday morning.
Pitcher Katelynn Miller led the way for the Leopards against Hoban. She authored a complete-game, allowing just five hits while striking out six on just 86 pitches. Bailee Griffith had homerun for Louisville, which is in the Final Four for the second time in program history.
The Leopards pounded out 11 hits and struck out just twice against Hoban.
Madison pitcher Caliyah Clapper sparked Madison coach Tim Niswander’s Rams.
Clapper fired a complete game, striking out 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 winner of the Madison-Louisville game advances to the state championship game Saturday at 8 p.m., also at Akron Firestone Stadium.
The other D-3 state semifinal game matches Carroll Bloom-Carroll (24-4) against Greenville (32-1) on Friday at 12:30 p.m.
2026 OHSAA Softball State Tournament Pairings
Home team listed first
All games at Firestone Stadium, Akron
Rankings from final OHSFCA state poll
Wednesday, June 3
Division I Semifinal #1 (10 a.m.): No. 1 Austintown-Fitch vs. Lancaster
Division I Semifinal #2 (12:30 p.m.): No. 3 Centerville vs. No. 2 Hilliard Bradley
Division VI Semifinal #1 (3 p.m.): West Jefferson vs. No. 6 Van Wert Lincolnview
Division VI Semifinal #2 (5:30 p.m.): No. 5 Danville vs. Dalton
Thursday, June 4
Division VII Semifinal #1 (10 a.m.): Cortland Maplewood vs. No. 6 South Charleston Southeastern
Division VII Semifinal #2 (12:30 p.m.): No. 2 Sycamore Mohawk vs. No. 3 Portsmouth Notre Dame
Division I Championship (3 p.m.)
Division VI Championship (5:30 p.m.)
Friday, June 5
Division III Semifinal #1 (10 a.m.): Mansfield Madison Comprehensive vs. Louisville
Division III Semifinal #2 (12:30 p.m.): No. 5 Carroll Bloom-Carroll vs. No. 2 Greenville
Division IV Semifinal #1 (3 p.m.): No. 1 Springfield Kenton Ridge vs. Mogadore Field
Division IV Semifinal #2 (5:30 p.m.): No. 3 Bryan vs. No. 2 Newark Licking Valley
Division VII Championship (8 p.m.)
Saturday, June 6
Division V Semifinal #1 (10 a.m.): No. 4 Casstown Miami East vs. No. 2 Wheelersburg
Division V Semifinal #2 (12:30 p.m.): No. 1 Baltimore Liberty-Union vs. No. 10 Canfield South Range
Division II Semifinal #1 (3 p.m.): No. 7 Kings Mills Kings vs. No. 3 Painesville Riverside
Division II Semifinal #2 (5:30 p.m.): No. 6 Westerville Central vs. No. 2 Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit
Division III Championship (8 p.m.)
Sunday, June 7
Division IV Championship (11 a.m.)
Division V Championship (1:30 p.m.)
Division II Championship (4 p.m.)
