Hot Stove softball: Grafton-Midview, Keystone breeze in Class B semifinals

SPENCER — Grafton-Midview All-Ohio Machine and Keystone Lucky Penny will meet for Ohio Hot Stove softball Class B state championship Monday at JB Firestone Park. The teams dominated in Thursday's state semifinals. Grafton-Midview routed the Firelands Lady Falcons 22-3, while Keystone Lucky Penny pounded the Wellington Bat-itudes 18-3. Each game went only four innings thanks to the 15-run mercy rule. Monday's Class B title game is a rematch. Grafton-Midview and Keystone squared off during the regular season with the Middies prevailing, 19-11. "We did very well on the bases today," Midview manager Don Rozanski said. "We started hitting the ball at the start, then fell off a bit, but then we jumped right back on it. We stole a lot of bases. "We were hoping that the championship was (today). With Wednesday's rain, things got pushed to Monday, but we'll be ready for it." Keystone manager Josh Rogers liked what he saw from his team against Wellington in Thursday's tune up for the state title game. "All of our girls were really swinging the bat well. They were being very aggressive at the plate and very aggressive on the bases and we played great defense," Rogers said. "For Monday, we just need to stay aggressive in the box. Midview's pitcher (Rylah Martin) throws a lot of strikes. She throws hard. We just have to be swinging. We have to be ready for that." Grafton-Midview (11-3) scored 10 runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back. Grafton rang up seven hits in the first and took advantage of four errors. All-Ohio Machine scored six more runs in the second inning without a hit, taking advantage of six walks and two hit batters. "I'm just happy with the way we played because we didn't make many errors," said Martin, who allowed only one hit while finishing nine strikeouts and three walks. "It means a lot to make it to the championship game. We won the Emerald Necklace tournament two years so we're hoping to find that same success on Monday." Grafton-Midview returned to the Hot Stove League this year for the first time after spending the last four years in the Emerald Necklace League. "We really wanted it today," said Grafton-Midview catcher Leah Rozanski, the manager's daughter. "I believe that we are a very good team. These girls mean so much to me. I'm very proud of us. We really battled well today at the plate and we ran the bases well, too. Our fielding needs to be solid on Monday for us to have a chance." Second baseman Riley Riley was also upbeat about what she saw from her Grafton-Midview teammates. "We batted around very well and fielded well," said Riley, whose stats included a stolen base of home in the third inning. "We were well-disciplined at the plate. We didn't swing at the ones in the dirt and waited for the right pitches in the strike zone." Grafton-Midview prevailed over Firelands 12-6 in the regular-season matchup. Thursday's game was a tough one for the Lady Falcons (9-6) and Firelands manager Alyssa Jordan. "Our hearts were in it at the beginning. It was our pitching unfortunately that did not pull through," Jordan said. "Unfortunately, throughout the season we've had that problem before. Without our pitching, we struggled and the girls got down and we stayed down. We really struggled out in the field today. Overall, we made it further than they would have hoped to make it. We're going to continue fall ball and look to the future." An eight-run third inning put Keystone over the top versus Wellington. Lucky Penny stole 24 bases and played errorless ball in the field. Riley Rogers, the coach's daughter, went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead Keystone. Layla Tyson and Farrah Thom each had two hits for the Wildcats. Kenedy Durante collected four walks for Keystone. Contact Paul Heyse at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.