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The Lakota East baseball and softball teams both won their regional semifinal matches on Friday, May 27, by one run. The baseball team defeated Northmont by the score of 1-0, while the softball team defeated Wayne by the score of 3-2.

The Lakota East baseball team won in the 12th inning after a ground ball by senior Zak Kloenne found the outfield and scored senior Craig Thomson, who had doubled off the left field fence earlier in the inning. The win advances the Thunderhawks to their second Division I regional final in school history.

Lakota East (22-7 overall) will now face Butler (27-3 overall) at noon today, May 28, at University of Cincinnati’s Marge Schott Stadium. The Thunderhawks head coach Ray Hamilton had planned to start UC commit senior pitcher Evan Hills this afternoon, but may after to find another starter after Hills threw five scoreless innings of relief on Friday.

Hills (photo from an earlier game this season) combined with starter junior Mike Conrad to throw 12 shutout innings in the win, struck out 12 and to hold Northmont hitters to four hits in 37 at-bats. Conrad and Hills had been the Thunderhawks’ most-used pitchers all season long.

“All I know is we’re playing in the region finals and I don’t care who we’re throwing,” Lakota East coach Ray Hamilton told Cincinnati.com. “I’m not concerned. This team comes to play every day.”

Meanwhile, the Lakota East softball team also had a dramatic win on Friday. After giving up a 2-0 lead, the Thunderhawks found themselves tied 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning. That was when senior catcher Kelly Hardison, who holds the single season record for home runs in the Greater Miami Conference, hit her ninth homer of season.

“It felt good right when I hit it,” Hardison told Cincinnati.com of her walk-off home run.”

Lakota East senior pitcher Sara Pearson improved her record to 23-2 and struck out nine batters in the win.

Lakota East (28-2) will play Lakota West (20-4 overall) in the regional final today, May 28, at 5 p.m. at Mason High School. The Firefirds are the only team that has been able to defeat Lakota East all season. Lakota West defeated the Thunderhawks by the score of 2-0 in late March and by the score of 2-0 in early May.

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: baseball, Craig Thomson, Evan Hills, Kelly Hardison, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Mike Conrad, Ray Hamilton, regional final, regional semifinal, regional semifinals, Sara Pearson, softball, Zak Kloenne

The Lakota West baseball team saw its postseason run end with a 5-3 loss to Grove City in the Division I regional semifinal at Dublin Coffman High School on Friday, May 27.

Lakota West only managed to register two hits and committed three errors in the loss.

“We just didn’t get it done,” Lakota West head coach Bill Dreisbach told Cincinnati.com. “I think more breaks went against us than for us today.”

The Firebirds advanced to the regional final after winning four postseason games en route to a district title. Three of those wins were against teams – Anderson (No. 4 seed), Mason (No. 7 seed) and Glen Este (No. 5 seed) – who were each favored to defeat the eighth-seeded Lakota West squad.

Lakota West finishes the season with a 17-12 overall record and a 9-9 record within the Greater Miami Conference.

Tennis – Mueck advances in state tournament – Lakota East No. 1 singles player junior Zach Mueck won both of his matches at the Division I state singles tournament at Hillard Davidson High School on Friday. Mueck defeated Shaker Heights senior Tommy Marx by the score of 6-1, 6-1 in the first round before defeating Dublin Coffman junior Hiromi Nakayama in the second round by the score of 6-2, 6-1. Meanwhile, Lakota East teammate and Xavier University commit senior Freddy Abunku lost his first round match at the state tournament losing to Lodi Cloverleaf freshman Jacob Dunbar by the score of 7-6 (7-5), 6-1. The state semifinals and finals are scheduled to take place this morning, May 28.

Track – Division I regional meet – The top four finishers in each category at the Division I regional meet at University of Dayton’s Welcome Stadium on Friday automatically qualified to compete in the state competition, which will be held at Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium June 3-4. Three of Lakota’s athletes did just that; Lakota West junior Nathan Haynes finished third in the boys’ 800 meters, Lakota East junior Lauren Buck finished fourth in the shot put and Lakota East freshman Autumn Heath finished second in the girls’ 100 meters. Other top Lakota performers include Lakota West senior J.J. Webber, who finished fifth in the 1600 meters, Lakota West sophomore Hannah Womack, who finished sixth in the girls’ high jump and Lakota West sophomore Will Wilson, who finished seventh in the boys’ high jump.

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: Autumn Heath, baseball, Bill Dreisbach, Freddy Abunku, Hannah Womack, J.J. Webber, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Lauren Buck, Nathan Haynes, Nathaniel Haynes, regional meet, regional semifinal, regional semifinals, state tournament, tennis, track, Will Wilson, William Wilson, Zach Mueck

The Lakota East regional semifinal softball game against Wayne today, May 26, has been moved from 5 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The hope is to accommodate any possible weather delays, according to Dan Hilen, Lakota East sports information director.

Lakota East (27-2) is currently ranked No. 1 in the state of Ohio. If the Thunderhawks defeat Wayne (16-10), they will face rival Lakota West (20-4) in the regional final Saturday, May 28, at noon.

Lakota West is the only team that has been able to defeat Lakota East all season. Lakota West defeated the Thunderhawks by the score of 2-0 in late March and by the score of 2-0 in early May.

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, regional final, regional finals, regional semifinal, regional semifinals, softball

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

The record-setting season for the boys’ basketball team at Lakota East High School ended last Thursday, March 17, when it lost to No. 1 seed Westerville South by the score of 64-58 in the Division I regional semifinal at the Columbus Fairgrounds Coliseum.

The Thunderhawks actually lead at halftime 30-23, but were outscored 41-28 in the second half.

Leading the comeback was Westerville South senior Traevon Jackson, who scored 20 of his game-high 24 points in the second half. Jackson, who has signed on to play basketball at Wisconsin, also added six assists and converted 15 of his 19 free-throw attempts.

“He’s really good,” Lakota East coach Wally Vickers told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “He (Jackson) was able to get away with a lot. But there’s no sour grapes – he’s a heck of a player.”

After defeating Lakota East, Westerville went on to beat Columbus Northland by the score of 80-62 in the regional final Saturday, March 19.

The season was special for the Thunderhawks, who won their first-ever outright Greater Miami Conference title and their first district championship this winter. Furthermore, Lakota East’s appearance in the regional semifinal marks the furthest the program has advanced in the state tournament in school history.

The loss also marks the end of the high school careers of six seniors: Jalen Goodwin, R.J. Leppert, Brian Evans, Jeff Cargill, Cameron Lee and Michael Boyd.

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: basketball, boys' basketball, Brian Evans, Cameron Lee, Jalen Goodwin, Jeff Cargill, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Michael Boyd, playoffs, R.J. Leppert, regional semifinal, regional semifinals, Wally Vickers, Walter Vickers

Lakota West was able to beat its rival Lakota East for the second time in 2010 last night, Nov. 4. However, this time the Thunderhawks played Lakota West tough before losing 25-23, 23-25, 17-25, 25-17, 15-8. Earlier in the season, the Firebirds swept Lakota East 25-15, 25-21, 25-19.

Much like in the first match, Lakota West received a star performance from one of its college-bound seniors. In the regular season match, University of Michigan commit Lexi Dannemiller had 34 assists. In last night’s regional semifinal win, University of Illinois commit Liz McMahon had 23 kills.

It was McMahon’s best performance of the regular season.

In late August, McMahon missed the start of the regular season as she competed on the U.S. Girls’ Youth Olympic indoor volleyball team during the 2010 games in Singapore. McMahon was one of 82 athletes representing the U.S. in 18 sports. Overall, the U.S. Team was represented by 27 states; McMahon was the only athlete from Ohio. (more…)

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: district finals, Lakota East, Lakota West, Lakota West vs. Lakota East, Lexi Dannemiller, Liz McMahon, playoffs, postseason, regional finals, regional semifinals, state volleyball tournament, Ursuline, Ursuline at Lakota West, volleyball

Both the Lakota East and Lakota West volleyball programs have advanced to the regional semifinals of the 2010 state volleyball tournament with wins in the district finals Saturday, Oct. 30.

Lakota East defeated St. Ursula Saturday, Oct. 30, by the score of 25-21, 25-23, 25-12 at Lebanon High School. The win improved Lakota East’s overall record to 18-6 and gave the program its first-ever district championship.

>>>LAKOTA EAST VS. ST. URSULA PHOTOS<<<

“Everyone kept saying, ‘Oh, you’re young, you’re young. (Not finishing games) is what happens (when you’re young).’ But we’re sick of that excuse,” Lakota East head coach Casie Garland told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We’re not young anymore. Ever since tournament time we’ve actually kept our composure and not freaked out.”

Meanwhile, Lakota West defeated Beavercreek Saturday, Oct. 30, by the score of 25-18, 25-10, 25-20. The win improved Lakota West’s overall record to 21-3 and set up a regional semifinal match with rival Lakota East this Thursday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m. at Tippecanoe High School.

“We’re excited about Thursday’s matchup against Lakota East. Anytime you have two teams from the GMC in a regional matchup it just shows the strength of the league,” Lakota West head coach Tracey Kornau said. “Having two schools from the same district is amazing and shows the just how great our Lakota Local School district really is.”

Lakota West defeated Lakota East 25-15, 25-21, 25-19 Sept. 27. Injured setter Lexi Dannemiller had 34 assists for Lakota West in the win.

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: district finals, Lakota East, Lakota West, Lakota West vs. Lakota East, playoffs, postseason, regional semifinals, state volleyball tournament, volleyball