WestChesterBuzz.com

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.

Construction starts on Millikin Road – Beginning last Monday, Millikin Road in Liberty Township closed between the north and south legs of LeSourdsville West Chester Road for an improvement project. During the construction, local access to the closed portion of Millikin Road will be maintained for residents living within this section only. All other motorists and thru traffic will be required to use the posted detour. The road is tentatively scheduled to reopen the week of June 4, 2012.

Lakota West softball coach wins 300th game – WestChesterBuzz.com reported last Monday that longtime Lakota West softball coach, Keith Castner, won his 300 game that past Saturday. He became the 31st softball coach to accomplish the feat in the state of Ohio, according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association record book.

Conrad breaks Lakota strikeout record – WestChesterBuzz.com reported last Monday that Lakota East ace Michael Conrad broke the Lakota school district career strikeout record. The previous record had been held since 1980. Conrad, who The Cincinnati Enquirer baseball player of the year and the Greater Miami Conference baseball player of the year last spring, has signed on to play ball at the University of Cincinnati.

Former county auditor begins paying off $4M penalty – Sheila McLaughlin reported last week that former Butler County Auditor Kay Rogers has to shell out $58,967.74 from her savings to start paying off a $4 million tab in a fiberoptics scandal that landed her in federal prison. Federal authorities wanted to garnish all of the money — $250,000 — from Rogers’ retirement accounts. But Rogers had argued that her children needed something to live on and pay the mortgage while she was in prison for two years.

Mellow Mushroom to open location in West Chester – Mellow Mushroom, a pizza restaurant and pub chain with a bit of a hippie vibe, will open an outpost in West Chester this summer. Kevin Molony, who also owns the Mellow Mushroom in Wilder, is shooting for a mid-July opening at the former Rafferty’s, 9238 Floer Drive and Union Center Boulevard.

Townships announce policy on weather warning sirens – It was announced last week that West Chester and Liberty Townships have negotiated an intergovernmental agreement and policy for the activation of its outdoor weather warning sirens. Under the proposed policy, sirens will be activated under slightly different parameters in each jurisdiction.

Lakota West volleyball team off to best start in school history – The Lakota West volleyball team broke its record for best start to a season and most consecutive wins. The team had won 12 straight before losing abbreviated matches last weekend. The team’s coach, Christy Switzer, also passed the 100-win mark for her career at Lakota West.

Fox’s Pizza Den to open in May – Fox’s Pizza Den, a pizza chain started in Pittsburgh in 1971, will have a Cincinnati location this spring when it opens at the Bridgewater Falls shopping complex in Fairfield Township. Vaughn Lewis, owner of Fox’s Pizza Den, is aiming to open the location by the end of May.

Lakota East defeats rival to take top spot in GMC – Lakota East snapped a four-game losing streak against Lakota West and moved into sole possession of first place in the Greater Miami Conference after a 3-1 victory at the Hawks Nest Thursday. Only a game separates the two rivals in the GMC standings.

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Keith Castner, who has been the softball head coach since Lakota West opened in 1997, earned his 300th win Saturday. He becomes the 31st softball coach to accomplish the feat in the state of Ohio, according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association record book.

“There has been many hard working softball players, on and off the field, that have come through Lakota West for us to get 300 wins,” said Castner, who is one of 14 active softball coaches in Ohio with 300 or more wins. “I want to thank all of them and the assistant coaches that have coached with me.”

This spring, Lakota West is 14-3 overall and 9-0 in the Greater Miami Conference.

Under Castner, the Firebirds have finished first in the GMC four times, first in the city five times and have made it to the state final four three times. As of Sunday, Castner’s career record at Lakota West is 300-113-1.

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: Keith Castner, Keith Castner Lakota West, Lakota West, Lakota West softball, Lakota West sports

Trailing 3-0, the Lakota West Firebirds stormed back with a five-run sixth inning en route to a 6-3 win against Mason Wednesday at Mason Middle School.

The Firebirds – No. 1 in The Enquirer’s coaches’ poll – scored five runs in the inning on four hits and on one momentous error.

“We played great through six innings, but we didn’t finish,” Mason head coach Liann Muff said. “When you don’t finish against a good team, that is what happens.”

The Firebirds got on the board when a ground ball hit by sophomore outfielder Kat Burbrink scored two runs after Mason second baseman Taylor Stewart threw the ball past her first baseman.

A few batters later, Lakota West sophomore pitcher Ashley Sharp broke a 3-3 tie by driving in two runs on a double to right-center field.

“It shows a lot about the girls…a little adversity set in and they responded,” Lakota West head coach Keith Castner said. “That is a credit to the girls concentrating and believing in themselves.”

Sharp, who walked five batters and hit three others, came through when it matter.

“Being only a sophomore, she has just done a great job for us this year as a pitcher and as a hitter,” Castner said of Sharp, who improved her record to 10-2 on the year. “When she hits the ball she hits it hard and she just comes through.”

It appeared for most of the game, that Mason sophomore pitcher Sarah Browning was going to be the one to lead her team to victory.

After allowing the first batter to reach on a double to begin the game, Browning retired 13 straight hitters. Through five innings, she had only given up two hits, struck out four batters and walked none.

She also got run support, with the Comets scoring a run in the fourth inning off a double by junior rightfielder Macy Hubbard and two more in the fifth by a way of a two-run home run over the centerfield fence by senior catcher Margo Hutchison.

“We have yet to play our best game by any stretch,” Muff said. “Until we can string together an entire game, this up and down is going to continue to happen. We just have to get mentally tougher and put together seven innings.”

Meanwhile, the Firebirds added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning when sophomore Madison Bridges collided with Hutchison at home plate. The collision jarred the ball out of Hutchison’s glove and forced the senior catcher to leave the game. The severity of her injury was unknown at the end of the contest.

Despite the loss, Mason – No. 4 in The Enquirer’s poll – came close to being the first team from the Greater Miami Conference to defeat the Firebirds.

“We are so solid,” Sharp said of her teammates, who are now 8-0 in the GMC. “We get along so well, which is great because some teams have a lot of drama. Everyone here just likes each other.”

W-Sharp (10-2, 4 K’s). Browning (3-4). Leaders: M-Hubbard 2B, RBI; Hutchison HR, 2 RBIs. L – Hedric 2 2Bs; Sharp 2-3, 2B, 2 RBIs, Burbrink RBI, Bridges 2 runs. Lakota West 11-3, 8-0 GMC. Mason 6-6, 5-3 GMC.

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: Ashley Sharp, Ashley Sharp Lakota West, Kat Burbrink, Keith Castner, Lakota West, Lakota West softball, Lakota West sports, Liann Muff, Margo Hutchison, Mason softball, Sarah Browning

Lakota West continues to have Lakota East’s number in softball, winning its fourth straight against its school district rival. The latest coming by way of a 6-2 victory Friday over the Thunderhawks.

Last season, Lakota East was ranked No. 1 in the state for most of the spring and lost only three of its 31 games. All three losses came at the hand of the Firebirds, including one that eliminated Lakota East in the state quarterfinals.

“I don’t think they have our number,” Lakota East head coach Steve Castner said. “This is a new year. We have a new group of girls … it is high school softball and the team that scores the most or doesn’t make the most mistakes – wins. That is all it is.”

Entering this season, both schools, which are coached by brothers, Steve and Keith Castner, were tied atop The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Division I Preseason Poll. Entering Friday’s matchup, both high schools were also unbeaten in the Greater Miami Conference in the early going this spring.

“It is always a rivalry. We can always down play it. I never make it about us, the brothers, because it about the girls,” Lakota West head coach Keith Castner said. “They love this game, practically when it is against East because they all know each other. I am really happy for them.”

Sophomore centerfielder Alyssa Hedric, who doubled twice, scored twice and drove in another run, led the Firebirds’ offense.

She scored the game’s first run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first inning after doubling and advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt.

In the third inning, Hedric drove in sophomore Marisa Walterbusch with her second double. Afterwards, she celebrated by flexing her muscles while standing on top of the second base bag.

“It is a team thing, everyone does it if you get a double or any hit,” Hedric said about flexing after her second double.

Later in the third, Hedric would score on a triple by senior first baseman Amanda Lahti. Lahti, who has signed on to play at Ohio Northern, scored on the play when the relay throw went over the head of Lakota East third baseman Gracie Sprockett.

“We just started off strong, everybody hit, came out on fire and that gave us a lot of confidence throughout the game,” Hedric said.

That confidence led to two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

“This win means a lot,” Keith Castner said. “We have a lot of hard working girls, who are bound and determined each game.”

In the loss, Lakota East finished with seven hits, missed multiple opportunities to score and committed two errors. To beat Lakota West, the Thunderhawks head coach said that his team will need to minimize their mistakes.

“We are in game 5, we have 27 games in the regular season plus tournament and you are going to make mistakes in game 5,” Steve Castner said. “It is game 28, 29 and 30 where mistakes cannot happen.”

Both teams will have more time to improve when they face off again April 19 at Lakota East.

BOX: Sharp (5-1, 3 K’s). Buckenmyer (3-1, 6 K’s). LE Rollins 2B, Dendler 2B, Callihan 2B Astrop 2-3, 2B. LW Hedric 2-3 2Bs, Lahti 3B, Walterbusch 3-3, Johnson 2B. LE (4-1), LW (5-1).

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: Alyssa Hedric, Amanda Lahti, Keith Castner, Lakota East, Lakota East softball, Lakota East Sports, Lakota East sports photos, Lakota West, Lakota West softball, Lakota West sports, Lakota West sports photos, Steve Castner

Lakota West senior pitcher Alex Caudill allowed three hits and one walk while shutting out Glen Este by the score of 2-0 in the regional semifinal on Wednesday, May 25.

Earlier in the season, Glen Este blew out the Firebirds in five innings by the score of 11-0. That game, however, was played without Caudill, who will continue her pitching career at Northern Kentucky University. At the time, Caudill was out after suffering a thigh injury.

Glen Este also did not use its ace in the regular season game. Senior Kelley Benhase, who will also attend NKU, came into Wednesday’s game with an 18-2 record, 240 strikeouts in 133.1 innings and a 0.47 earned run average.

Cincinnati.com reporter Chris DeLotell covered the game:

“I was worried about that (match-up),” Caudill said. “I knew whoever scored one run was probably going to win the game.”

West manufactured the winning run in the third inning. Alyssa Hedric led off with a single, advanced to second on a passed ball, and moved to third on a one-out single by Bekah Werth. Caudill then drove a fly ball deep enough into right field that Hedric was able to score.

West coach Keith Castner credited the early lead with helping his players relax.

“It makes you feel good,” Castner said. “At the same time, it helps the girls to know they need to up their game a little bit more also.” (more…)

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: Alex Caudill, Alyssa Hedric, Bekah Werth, Keith Castner, Kelley Benhase, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, NKU, Northern Kentucky University, regional final, regional finals, regional semifinal, regional semifinals, softball