Beating a great team three times in one season is a tall order, but the Springfield varsity girls softball team managed to do that against Perrysburg–a team consistently ranked in the top 10 across the state of Ohio in Division I–in 2023.
However, defeating one of the state’s three best teams with that regularity proved too daunting a task as the Lady Devils’ historic campaign came to a close in a 7-3 regional finals loss to rival Anthony Wayne on May 26 at Clyde High School.
The Lady Generals had suffered three losses this season– to Springfield twice by one run each, and once to Perrysburg. While the regional result was hardly implausible, it was nonetheless a surprise given the unblemished record and reputation with which Springfield entered the contest.
Just a year prior, the Lady Devils shocked many softball observers with their unlikely run to the state championship game, including a playoff victory over Anthony Wayne who had demolished their district by a combined score of 47-2 across three games.
This year’s squad looked even better, mowing down one opponent after another en route to an outright Northern Lakes League title and third consecutive district crown.
They entered their final game with a 27-0 record to go along with a top billing across statewide polls. Their average margin of victory was more than seven runs, and the girls pitched a shutout in a dozen of those wins.
On the heels of their success in 2022, it was hard to doubt the Lady Devils ceiling. But the reversal of fortunes proved eerie.
Before vanquishing their rivals from the postseason play last year, the Lady Generals entered that game a sterling 27-0 with near universal acclaim as the best team in the state. They were steamrolling opponents by nearly 10 runs per game and pitched shutouts in over half of their games.
History, of course, was not on their side then, just as it did not favor Springfield this year.
Although the team fell short of state title aspirations, the season will nonetheless go down as one of the greatest in program history.
~Sean Maiolo
