The Hoban softball team was trying to do something it hasn’t done in 25 years — capture a state championship.
This Knights team seemed as if it was destined to end that streak and bring back a title they’ve been missing since 1992.
Hoban hung tough to the end Saturday night at Firestone Stadium, but came up short in a 2-1 loss to Hebron Lakewood in the Division II state final.
Lakewood captured its second consecutive state championship and fifth since 2008.
The Knights (24-3) were trying to avenge a state semifinal loss last year to the Lancers by giving the Division II’s top team everything they had.
The Lancers breezed through the tournament, outscoring their opponents 87-8 in six games, but the Knights did not go down easily.
Averaging more than 14 runs a game in the tournament and beating teams in the regular season like Perry, Walsh Jesuit, Danville and Strasburg, it seemed as if Lakewood was a heavy favorite.
But Hoban’ s magical season wasn’t going to end on a blowout. The Knights proved all year that they not only belonged in the final game but also had a chance to win one for Summit County.
“It was a successful season as far as we got tonight but there is a lot of disappointment after this loss,” Hoban coach Frank Voss said.
The Lancers scored first on a two-run home run by first baseman Brenna Brownfield. Brownfield blasted an 0-2 pitch over the left-field fence in the third inning.
Alexa Perry scored on the homer after leading off the inning with a triple. Perry and Brownfield each had two of the Lancers’ six hits.
Hoban came right back, scoring a run in the top of fourth when Chloe Weirdrick knocked in Alex Whitmore on a single. The Knights had runners on second and third with one out but failed to push another run across the plate.
Hoban left six runners on base and had other opportunities but Lakewood’s star pitcher Courtney Vierstra was able to get out of every jam. She finished with seven strikeouts.
Hoban pitcher Laney Jones nearly matched Vierstra, getting her team out of jams to keep the game close. The Knights’ defense also came up big all night, including a diving stop by shortstop Whitmore to rob Tigan Braskie of a hit.
Jones gave up just the two runs on six hits and a walk and struck out five.
“A lot of teams don’t get here to this point and we made it after these girls wanted to get back after last year,” Voss said. “In fact we made it one extra game.”