LAGRANGE — Top-seeded Keystone, Ohio’s
No. 1 Division II softball team, won its 20th district championship on Wednesday and eighth in a row.
No need to yawn, but there’s really not much news there.
On the other hand, the convincing way in which the Wildcats did it turned some heads. They mercy-ruled Holy Name 12-1 in a five-inning Division II district final at LaGrange Community Park.
Keystone scored seven runs in the second and led 11-0 after two innings.
The Wildcats (25-4) haven’t been denied a district title since 2000 and they had won 11 straight until then. And this is the 19th year in a row they’ve won at least 20 games. They’ve won 30 or more three times in that span.
With the win, Keystone earned yet another trip to the Bucyrus regional tournament, where it will meet either Columbus DeSales or Canal Winchester at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. DeSales and Canal Winchester meet for the Pickerington No. 2 district crown at 5 p.m. today.
Keystone’s victory, coupled with Division III district semifinal wins by Columbia and Wellington on Wednesday, means Lorain County is assured of having three teams in regional tournaments next week. The Raiders and Lady Dukes meet for the North Ridgeville district title at 4:30 p.m. today.
It would be a luxury to detail the ways in which Keystone dismantled Holy Name (16-11) and to report extensively about the players who did it. But in the interest of both time and newsprint, why not pick up the LaGrange-Penfield-Carlisle Township phone book and start circling names. It might not be entirely accurate, but it’ll be close.
“These kids are what I call big-time players, because in the big games they really show up,” said Keystone coach Jim Piazza. “When we look back at the big games, they really stepped it up toward the end. We’re just getting better as the year goes on. Our goal is to get to state and we’re going to do everything in our power to get there.”
Sophomore catcher Taylor Kessinger, who entered the game batting .378, went 3-for-3, boosting her average to the .400 range. She hit a two-run double and two singles and put up three RBIs.
“This was a big game, but I just kind of relaxed and hit,” Kessinger said. “This means a lot, but I can’t describe it. We’re all happy and excited, and we’ll put our heart and soul into everything now.”
Pitcher Lauren Wagner, who’s been Kessinger’s batterymate since they were fifth graders, got the victory, improving to 17-3. She allowed just three hits and an earned run. She struck out two and walked none.
Junior Kara Dill pitched two shutout innings in relief. She also had two hits, including one of the Wildcats’ two triples, to boost her batting average which already flirts with .600.
Clare Sullivan had two hits, the other triple and two RBIs, and Taylor Bell hit one of the team’s four doubles and also notched two RBIs. Eight different players accounted for the Wildcats’ 12 hits. It showed the kind of balance they also displayed in a victory over Amherst on Saturday when seven different players had their first seven hits.
Kim Kokosky and Jaimee Senk hit the Wildcats’ other doubles. Dill, Kokoski and third baseman Kate Yeo all scored twice for Keystone.

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