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The Greater Miami Conference recently announced its all-conference baseball and softball teams. A total of 23 Lakota baseball and softball players were named to the conference’s first and second teams.

In baseball, Lakota East’s Ray Hamilton was named GMC Coach of the Year and Lakota East junior pitcher Mike Conrad shared the honor of GMC Baseball Athlete of the Year with Middletown’s Kyle Schwarber.

Lakota East, which won the GMC title and a state title this spring, had five players (Conrad, senior J.D. Whetsel, senior Jesse Rait, senior Evan Hills and junior Alex Corna) named to the All-GMC First Team and two (senior Mitch Geers and sophomore Jarrett Rindfleisch) named to the All-GMC Second Team.

Lakota West, which won a district title this season, had two players (senior Ryan Oltorik and junior Jake Wagner) named to the All-GMC First Team and three (senior T.J. Belieu, senior Mack Doherty, junior Zack Farmer) named to the All-GMC Second Team.

In softball, Sara Pearson, who has signed on to play at the University of Memphis, was named as the GMC Softball Athlete of the Year. Pearson struck out 264 batters in 164.2 innings and posted a 0.30 earned run average in 2011.

Lakota East, which won the GMC title and a district title in 2011, had five players (Pearson, sophomore Lea Buckenmyer, junior Ainsley Ellison, junior Alyssa Grevenkamp and senior Kelly Hardison) named to the All-GMC First Team and one (junior Kim Rollins) named to the All-GMC Second Team.

Lakota West, which won a regional title this spring, had two players (senior Alex Caudill and junior Amanda Lahti) named to the All-GMC First Team and three (senior Yasmin Battle, senior Melanie Bryan and junior Jessica Burke) named to the All-GMC Second Team.

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: Ainsley Ellison, Alex Caudill, Alex Corna, Alyssa Grevenkamp, Amanda Lahti, baseball, Evan Hills, Jake Wagner, Jarrett Rindfleisch, Jesse Rait, Jessica Burke, Kelly Hardison, Kim Rollins, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Lea Buckenmyer, Mack Doherty, Melanie Bryan, Mike Conrad, Mitch Geers, Ray Hamilton, Ryan Oltorik, Sara Pearson, softball, T.J. Belieu, Yasmin Battle, Zach Farmer, Zack Farmer

In Lakota West’s last baseball game, junior Zack Farmer was the losing pitcher in a 4-1 loss to Lakota East on Thursday, April 21. Yesterday, April 26, afternoon, Farmer broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning en route to a 4-3 win against the Lakota East Thunderhawks.

The win moves the Firebirds (10-6 overall, 7-5 in the Greater Miami Conference) into a two-way tie with Mason (9-5 overall, 7-5 in the GMC) for second place in the GMC. Meanwhile, despite the loss, Lakota East (11-5 overall, 8-3 in the GMC) remains in first place in the GMC.

Senior pitcher T.J. Belieu improved his record to 4-1, while senior Jared Schroeder led the Firebirds at the plate by going 2-for-3.

Senior J.D. Whetsel went 2-for-3 and senior Mitch Geers hit a double for Lakota East.

Both teams will host GMC opponents this afternoon. West will host Hamilton (4-10 overall, 3-9 in the GMC) at 5 p.m. and East will host Sycamore (6-5 overall, 6-5 in the GMC) at 5 p.m.

Tennis – Mason def. Lakota East – The Thunderhawks boys’ tennis program lost its second match of the season when it fell to Mason by the score of 3-2 on Tuesday. Lakota East won its No. 1 singles match and its No. 1 doubles match, but lost all three of the other matches. The loss gives the Thunderhawks a 9-2 overall record and a 7-2 mark in the GMC. Mason improves to 11-1 overall and 7-1 in the GMC. Lakota East will host Loveland at 4 p.m. today.

Volleyball – Lakota West def. Lakota East – The Firebirds handed Lakota East its first loss of the season when it defeated the Thunderhawks by the score of 25-16, 18-25, 25-15, 29-27 on Tuesday night. Junior Alex Vohland (19 kills), Sophomore Curtis Johnson (23 assists) and junior Brian Fintel (five blocks) led Lakota West. The win moves Lakota West (8-6 overall, 6-1 in the GMC) into first place in the GMC. Lakota East (12-4 overall, 4-1 in the GMC) remains near the top of the conference standings. Lakota West is scheduled to host Wayne tonight at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, Lakota East’s next match will be played at Middletown (3-15 overall, 1-6 in the GMC) on Thursday, April 28, at 7 p.m.

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: Alex Vohland, baseball, boys' tennis, boys' volleyball, Brian Fintel, Curtis Johnson, J.D. Whetsel, Jared Schroeder, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Mitch Geers, T.J. Belieu, tennis, volleyball

Next school year, Lakota East senior Evan Hills had planned to be attending the University of Cincinnati as a student majoring in education. However, after witnessing Hills strikeout 11 batters in a complete game against Princeton earlier this month, the senior pitcher was offered a spot on the UC baseball team.

“After watching me pitch against Princeton where I had around 11 K’s, they called me right away,” Hills said. “I visited and watched a UC/Louisville game and they offered a roster spot … I was already going to that college, so it was just a dream come true.”

Hills put in another dream performance this afternoon when he didn’t walk a single batter in a complete-game, 86-pitch performance against rival Lakota West. Hills’ performance led to his fifth win of the season and 4-1 win against the Firebirds.

>>>PHOTOS: LAKOTA WEST AT LAKOTA EAST<<<

“He is just a guy you can count on to keep you in games,” Lakota East head coach Ray Hamilton said of Hills. “He has huge upside. If you throw 30 pounds on him, now you are talking about a kid that is touching 90 – with that kind of stuff – I think that is what UC saw.”

Lakota West hitters didn’t see much to hit and managed to get on base five times in seven innings. Furthermore, not a single Firebird batter recorded more than one hit against Hills during the entire afternoon.

Meanwhile, Lakota East batters got on base five times and scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning. Senior Jesse Rait drove in the first two runs of the game with a single, which was followed by a two-run single by senior Mitch Geers two batters later. Both singles were ground balls through the middle of the infield. (more…)

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: baseball, Bill Dreisbach, Cincinnati, Evan Hills, Jesse Rait, Kenton LeVay, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Lakota West vs. Lakota East, Mitch Geers, Ray Hamilton, T.J. Belieu, University of Cincinnati

Lakota West scored the game-winning run in the eighth inning Wednesday, April 13, when junior Jake Wagner singled in junior Nick Billman to make the score 2-1. The Firebirds would hold on to the lead thanks in part to senior starting pitcher T.J. Belieu, who threw a complete game. Belieu improves his record to 3-0. He also has 19 strikeouts in 20 innings and an ERA of 1.40 this season.

The win improves Lakota West’s overall record to 5-4 and its record within the Greater Miami Conference to 4-3. The Firebirds will visit Oak Hills (5-3 overall, 4-3 in the GMC) this afternoon at 5 p.m.

Baseball – Lakota East 2, Middletown 0 – Earlier this week, Lakota East had two games against Middletown postponed before finally beating the Middies by the score of 2-0 on Wednesday. Senior pitcher Evan Hills earned the win, improving his record to 3-1 on the season. Senior Brian Evans went 2-for-4 at the plate and drove in both runs. The win moves Lakota East into a two-way tie with Mason (7-2 overall, 5-2 in the GMC) atop the GMC standings. The Thunderhawks (6-3 overall, 5-2 in the GMC) will visit Fairfield (6-4 overall, 3-4 in the GMC) this afternoon at 5 p.m.

Softball – Lakota East 10, Sycamore 1 – The Thunderhawks won its 11th straight game on Wednesday when it defeated Sycamore by the score of 10-1. Sophomore pitcher Lea Buckenmyer improved to 3-0 this season. She also has 24 strikeouts and a 1.05 ERA in 20 innings this season. Senior Kelly Hardison homered for the fifth time this season and drove in four runs. Lakota East (12-1 overall, 7-1 in the GMC) will visit Fairfield (8-0 overall, 8-0 in the GMC) this afternoon in a battle between two of the area’s top teams.

Tennis – Centerville def. Lakota West – After winning five straight matches last week, the Lakota West boys’ tennis team has lost all three of its matches this week. The latest loss was against Centerville, which defeated the Firebirds by the score of 4-1. No. 3 singles player sophomore Nick Lang won his match for Lakota West. The Firebirds will visit rival Lakota East (7-1 overall, 6-1 in the GMC) this afternoon at 4 p.m.

Volleyball – Centerville def. Lakota West – The Elks defeated Lakota West by the score of 25-19, 25-19, 25-16 on Wednesday. Junior Alex Baker led the Firebirds with nine digs. Senior Rio Onuki had four kills and sophomore Curtis Johnson added two kills in the loss for Lakota West. The Firebirds (4-4 overall, 4-0 in the GMC) will visit Oak Hills (8-1 overall, 3-1 in the GMC) tonight at 7 p.m.

Volleyball – Lakota East def. Fairmont – Lakota East defeated Fairmont by the score of 25-16, 26-24, 25-18 on Wednesday. The win improves Lakota East’s overall record to 10-3 this season. The team is also 3-0 within the GMC. East will host Princeton tonight at 7 p.m.

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: Alex Baker, baseball, boys' tennis, boys' volleyball, Brian Evans, Curtis Johnson, Evan Hills, Jake Wagner, Kelly Hardison, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Lea Buckenmyer, Nick Billman, Nick Lang, Rio Onuki, softball, T.J. Belieu, tennis, volleyball

Lakota high school teams were victorious in all six of the reported athletic contests Thursday, April 7. Lakota West won its baseball, tennis and volleyball contests, while Lakota East earned wins in softball, tennis and volleyball.

Tennis – Lakota East def. Fairfield – The Thunderhawks rebounded from Wednesday’s loss to Sycamore by defeating Fairfield by the score of 5-0. Lakota East No. 1 and No. 2 singles Zach Mueck and Freddy Abunku (photo) didn’t lose a single game in their matches en route to 6-0, 6-0 victories. With the win, Lakota East improves to 4-1 overall and 4-1 within the GMC. This afternoon, the Thunderhawks will host Elder at 4 p.m. before hosting Westerville Central this Saturday at 2 p.m.

Baseball – Lakota West 4, Colerain 3 – Lakota West senior pitcher T.J. Belieu earned his second win of the year while striking out eight batters in a 4-3 win against Colerain on Thursday. Junior Troy Dombart led the Firebirds at the plate by going 3-for-3. Lakota West revenged a 3-2 loss to Colerain April 1 and improves to 3-4 overall and 2-3 in the GMC. The Firebirds will host Middletown (6-1 overall, 4-1 in GMC) this afternoon at 5 p.m. before hosting a doubleheader (noon and 2 p.m.) against Glen Este on Saturday.

Softball – Lakota East 7, Beavercreek 0 – Sophomore pitcher Lea Buckenmyer earned her second win of the season in a 7-0 win against Beavercreek on Thursday. Junior Alyssa Grevenkamp (2-for-4, 2 runs), senior Sara Pearson (2-for-3), senior Kelly Hardison (2-for-3, 2B) and junior Kim Rollins (2-for-3) all performed well at the plate for the Thunderhawks. Lakota East improves to 9-1 overall (4-1 in GMC) with win and will host Mason (7-2 overall, 4-1 in GMC) this afternoon at 4:30 p.m.

Tennis – Lakota West 5, Oak Hills 0 – After starting the season on Tuesday, the Firebirds have now won three straight matches in three straight days after defeating Oak Hills by the score of 5-0. This afternoon, Lakota West will go for its fourth straight win when it visits La Salle at 4 p.m.

Volleyball – Lakota West def. Fairfield – After losing its first three matches of the season, Lakota West has bounced back and won its third straight after holding off Fairfield by the score of 25-16, 25-19, 25-27, 25-17. Junior Alex Vohland led the Firebirds with 16 kills and 25 assists. Teammates senior Robert Hasselfeld (10 kills) and senior Rio Onuki (3 aces and 5 kills) also contributed to the win. Lakota West will be back in action Tuesday, April 12, when it hosts Princeton (1-0 overall, 0-0 in GMC) at 7 p.m.

Volleyball – Lakota East def. Hamilton – The Thunderhawks won its second conference match of the season by defeating Hamilton by the score of 25-4, 25-10, 25-13 on Thursday. Lakota East improves to 5-2 on the year and 2-0 within the Greater Miami Conference.

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: Alex Vohland, Alyssa Grevenkamp, baseball, boys' tennis, boys' volleyball, Freddy Abunku, Kelly Hardison, Kim Rollins, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Lea Buckenmyer, Rio Onuki, Robert Hasselfeld, Sara Pearson, softball, T.J. Belieu, tennis, Tory Dombart, volleyball, Zach Mueck

Lakota West senior Alex Caudill picked up where she left off last season and tossed a no hitter in the Firebirds’ 4-0 season-opening win against visiting Sycamore yesterday, March 28.

“She really mixed up her pitches and was hitting the corners really nice,” Firebirds coach Keith Castner told Cincinnati.com.

Caudill also recorded a school record 17 strikeouts and hit a triple in the win.

The no hitter was her fourth of her high school career.

Last season, Caudill, who has signed on to play at Northern Kentucky University, complied 259 strikeouts in 170.1 innings while posting a 19-7 record and a 0.62 earned run average.

Lakota West (1-0) will visit Lakota East (1-0) today at 4:30 p.m.

Softball – Lakota East 16, Hamilton 0 (five innings) – Lakota East senior Sara Pearson, who has signed to play at the University of Memphis, struck out eight batters in only four innings of work. Pearson went 2-for-4 at the plate with a HR and two RBIs. The win improved the Thunderhawks to 1-0 on the season.

Baseball – Princeton 9, Lakota West 6 – Senior T.J. Belieu (3-for-4, 2B), junior Jake Wagner (2-for-4, 2B), and senior Ryan Oltorik (2-for-4, 2B) all hit the ball well in a 9-6 road loss at Princeton. The loss drops Lakota West to 0-1. The Firebirds will have a chance to get revenge when they host Princeton (1-0) Wednesday, March 30, at 4:30 p.m.

Baseball – Mason 2, Lakota East 1 – Defending Greater Miami Conference champions Lakota East lost its season opener to rival Mason, by the score of 2-1, on the road yesterday. Mason trailed 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning, but rallied for the win. The loss drops East’s record to 0-1. The Thunderhawks will host Mason (1-0) this Wednesday, March 30, at 5 p.m.

Volleyball – Centerville def. Lakota East – Centerville defeated Lakota East 25-19, 25-12, 19-25, 25-19 in a boys’ volleyball match yesterday. The loss drops the Thunderhawks’ record to 2-2 on the season. The team will be back in action Thursday, March 31, with a home match against Milford at 7 p.m.

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: Alex Caudill, baseball, boys' volleyball, Jake Wagner, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Ryan Oltorik, Sara Pearson, softball, T.J. Belieu