SBC Lake softball could be wide open

Clyde won the Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division softball championship last year. The Fliers finished 22-7 overall, winning all 10 league games for an unblemished record. Clyde was the clear favorite to repeat, but the Fliers might find the route a bit tougher with an injury to star pitcher Taitum Jeffrey. The junior went down during a basketball game in late January with a torn ACL. She will miss the entire softball season. Can Clyde still win the league title? Is it wide open for the taking now? The softball season begins Saturday. A look at the six Lake Division teams in alphabetical order: Bellevue The Lady Red enter their second season under coach Logan Hurst after going 7-15 overall and 4-6 in league play. Bellevue lost its first five league games before winning four of the final five. The Lady Red will have to replace an offense that graduated Payton Hicks. The first-team All-SBC selection had all six of Bellevue's home runs last year while driving in a team-high 27 runs. Bellevue will look to sophomore Mallory Hay in the circle. She threw 106 1/3 innings while striking out 121. Ariana Holzhauer threw 35 1/3 innings, but the ball will be in Hay's hand this season. At the plate, Hay was second on the team with 18 RBI. She also was tied for second on the team with honorable mention selection Ryleigh Knutti with 18 hits apiece. Seniors Ava Meyer and MyahAnn Reesman will look to be leaders as captains this season for Bellevue. "Overall, I'm really pleased with how we've started so far," Hurst said. "We've had a few solid outings in scrimmages and our energy as a whole has been great. We have strong leadership from our returners, led by Meyer and Reesman, who have done a great job of setting the standard for our younger players. "Every player on the roster has bought in from the start and they keep raising the bar for each other as the preseason moves on." Clyde The Fliers' season ended in heartbreak, dropping a 10-9 Division IV district final to Lake. Clyde started the season 0-2, but won its next 10 games. The Fliers benefited from 19 home games, thanks in part to state-of-the-art turf that allows Clyde to play in most kinds of weather. Clyde was going to look to Jeffrey in her junior season. She pitched almost every inning for the Fliers, who now have to find someone to fill that void. The Fliers lost powerful hitters Ella Howey and Kennedi Long from last season, but return first-league selections in sophomore Ariah Farrar (outfield) and senior Mya Stiefel (infield). "Every year is a challenge and this year is no different," said 37th-year coach Marc Marshall, who enters the season with a career record of 593-272. "We have some returners and first-year players that will gel as the season progresses. Offensively, the requirements remain the same — put the ball in play, keep our strikeouts to a minimum and have quality at-bats. Defensively, we have to make the routine plays and hopefully a couple ESPN plays." Norwalk The Truckers finished as district runners-up, falling to Mansfield Madison. Norwalk was 12-12 overall and 6-4 in league play, taking second in the conference standings to Clyde. The Truckers had a pair of league-honored pitchers returning in sophomores Kenadee Lesch (first team) and Saige Viock (honorable mention), but Lesch enrolled at Margaretta this season. Norwalk also returns second-team league pick Carolyn Bennett (outfield) and honorable mention selection Audryn Ott (infield). "We're excited to bring back eight lettermen this year and carry the lessons we learned last season into the field," Norwalk coach Julie Schmidt said. "Seniors Audryn Ott and Reagan Mooney and juniors Carolyn Bennett and Caymen Mercer will pave the way for the remaining six or seven underclassmen. "This team has great chemistry and knows how to have fun while playing the sport they love. We are excited to stay relaxed on the field and stack wins." Perkins The Pirates' offense was good last year — it averaged almost eight runs a game. Perkins' pitching and defense weren't as solid, giving up an average of almost 9.5 runs per contest. Pitchers Caden McClellan and Maycee Bohn both dealt with injuries. Bohn returns with experience in the circle for the Pirates, who were 10-15 overall and 3-7 in league contests. The offense was paced by junior Aubrey Ransom, who tallied over 30 hits and 30 runs batted in. Quanise Rogers and Hannah Koelsch both had solid seasons offensively for the Pirates. "We are very excited about the season," Perkins coach Scott Dickman said. "I believe we are a lot deeper this year than we have been in the five years I have been here. Offensively, I think we can hit 1-9 with several players coming back from last year. Our pitching is also deeper than last year. "I think we will improve offensively because all of our kids have varsity experience. Last year, we had several freshmen that played a lot and have worked really hard on their game." Sandusky The Blue Streaks more than doubled their win total last year. In 2023, Sandusky went 4-17 before improving to a 9-15 record last year. The Blue Streaks were 2-8 in league play. Under second-year coach Phil Jones, Sandusky wants to improve once again. The Blue Streaks had a pair of second-team All-SBC selections in Kaylee Summers and Akiyla Jones, both juniors now. Summers won six games in the circle, striking out 119 batters in 119 2/3 innings. Jones led Sandusky with 34 hits and 24 RBI. Jones was second on the team in runs scored with 28, one behind Maijon Wiley, who graduated. "We have a group of experienced returning lettering players," coach Jones said. "We also have a large senior class that brings leadership and experience to the team. Offensively, one of our strongest players this year will be junior Akiyla Jones. She's really seeing the ball well right now and is always on the attack at the plate. She's a threat every time she steps up because she brings both speed and power. "Defensively, if we can cut down on errors, I believe we will put ourselves in a much better position to be successful." Tiffin Columbian The Tornadoes were 10-16 last year, taking third in the league with a 5-5 mark. Second-year coach Ryan Ottney will look toward sophomore Cam Haman in both the circle at the plate. The second-team all-league selection at outfielder had two of Columbian's 18 home runs while leading the team in runs batted in (19), runs scored (29), doubles (11) and total hits (34). In the circle, she fanned 86 batters in 79 1/3 innings. Olyvia Steinmetz was a second-team pick at infielder after contributing 25 hits, 19 runs, three HR and 13 RBI. "We return many of our players from last year," Ottney said. "We have added a few new faces to the program from last year and I'm excited about how they will fit into our program's culture. Our goal has been to outwork everyone and they have put a lot of time and effort into that this offseason." Returning All-SBC Lake selections First team Pitcher: Taitum Jeffrey, Clyde; Kenadee Lesch, Norwalk (transferred to Margaretta) Infield: Aubrey Ransom, Perkins; Mya Stiefel, Clyde Outfield: Ariah Farrar, Clyde Second team Pitcher: Kaylee Summers, Sandusky; Mallory Hay, Bellevue Infield: Olyvia Steinmetz, Columbian; Akiyla Jones, Sandusky; Emma Daugherty, Columbian Outfield: Camryn Haman, Columbian; Carolyn Bennett, Norwalk Honorable mention Pitcher: Saige Viock, Norwalk Catcher: Ryleigh Knutti, Bellevue Infield: Audryn Ott, Norwalk; Ember Andres, Clyde Outfield: Corinne Plotts, Columbian; Amari Prentice, Sandusky