TODAY’S STATE SOFTBALL GAMES

Division I

WHO: No. 1 Elyria Pioneers (2-1) vs. No. 3 North Canton Hoover Vikings (31-2)
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Firestone Stadium, 1575 N. Firestone Blvd., Akron
AT STAKE: The Division I state championship
TICKETS: $7 per session. For today’s championship games, the Division III and IV finals will be a session, and the Division I and II finals will be a session.
INFORMATION: Call the stadium office, (330) 376-4487.
DIRECTIONS: Take any of several routes to Interstate 77 south. Take I-77 south to the Wilbeth Road exit in Akron. Turn right (west) on Wilbeth. Take Wilbeth to S. Main Street (about 1.25 miles). The Firestone Stadium complex is at the intersection of S. Main, Wilbeth and Firestone Parkway.
RADIO: WEOL 930-AM.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

ELYRIA PIONEERS

Cynthia Woodard, cf
Jen Bower, c
Tess Sito, p
Megan Bashak, lf
Sarah Bracey, rf
Brianna Wade, 1b
Ashlee Stolarski, 3b
Jessica Bellottie, DP
Kristen Boros, ss
Jessica Mandula, 2b

HOOVER VIKINGS

Felicia Houtz, cf
Ali Lindeman, 1b
Megan Lilley, 2b
Sarah Gerber, c
Alex Macantonio, ss
Jessica Simpson, p
McKenna Russ, rf
Erin Riccardi, 3b
Jessica Meleg, DP
Lindsay Sumser, 7

SCOUTING HOOVER

COACH: Jerry Goodpasture
COLORS: Black and orange
CONFERENCE: Federal League
ENROLLMENT: 1,278 (633 girls)
LOCATION: North Canton, Stark County

NOTABLE

• The Vikings defeated Elyria 2-0 in the 2006 state championship game.
• The big blow was McKenna Russ’s two-run homer in the sixth inning.
• Elyria hasn’t scored a run in 15 consecutive innings in its last three state title game appearances.
• The Pioneers were shut out in a state championship game for the second year in a row when Hudson handed them a 4-0 pasting last June.
• Five of the Vikings are headed for Division I universities on softball scholarships.
• The Pioneers have defeated Hoover the last two times they’ve met — in the Keystone tournament in 2007 and in the Wendy’s Spring Classic in April this year.

Division III

WHO: Wellington Dukes (23-4) vs. No. 1 Hebron Lakewood Lancers (32-2)
TIME: 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Firestone Stadium, 1575 North Firestone Blvd., Akron
AT STAKE: The Division III state championship.
TICKETS, INFORMATION AND DIRECTIONS: See above capsule
RADIO: WEOL 930-AM

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

WELLINGTON DUKES

Melanie Conklin, p
Cassie Gleisner, rf
Melissa Rennie, cf
Callie McConnell, 1b
Melissa Sawyer, c
Amy Rader, ss
Christy King, DP
Brittany Gow, 3b
Brooke Lewis, 2b
Rachel Galloway, lf

HEBRON LAKEWOOD LANCERS

Emily Voehringer, 3b
Chelsea Riley, cf
Chelsea Archer, ss
Lindsay Barrett, c
Alissa Birkhimer, p
Caitlin Houk, DP
Chelsea Brewer, 2b
Sarah Wogan, lf
Megan Swiantek, rf
Brayan Gault, 1b

SCOUTING LAKEWOOD

COACH: Criss Nadolson
COLORS: Red and white
CONFERENCE: Mid-State League
ENROLLMENT: 513 (217 girls)
LOCATION: Hebron, near Newark in Licking County east of Columbus

NOTABLE

• Birkhimer, the pitcher, was in the hospital on Sunday with strep throat.
• She is shooting for her 30th win of the season today against two losses. She pitched an 11-strikeout one-hitter on Thursday.
• The Lancers have mercy-ruled 14 opponents and shut out 13 this season.
• They were Division II state runners-up in 2002 in their only other trip to the Final Four. They lost to Walsh Jesuit in the championship game.
• Their losses this season were to Granville, 2-1, and Pickerington Central, 4-2.

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