Nine area players earn first-team All-Ohio softball honors, multiple others grace list

Derrick Webb, Managing Editor

Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.

COLUMBUS — The Ohio High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association recently released its All-Ohio softball lists and a number of players from SOSA’s coverage area earned their spots.

Leading the area’s honorees are South Point’s Kota Copley and Logan Elm’s Sadie Binkley in Division IV, Meigs’ Bella Roush, Wheelersburg’s Ava Estep and Piketon’s Aubrey Heath in Division V, Fairfield’s Rilee Quickle and Lynchburg-Clay’s Noel Barnhill in Division VI, and Symmes Valley’s Brenna Tibbs and Notre Dame’s Ava Rush in Division VII.

Copley was the Division IV District Player of the Year, hitting .632 alongside 13 doubles and 26 RBIs. She also threw 175 2/3 innings and went 19-9 in the circle. Meanwhile, Binkley was 16-9 in the circle with 118 strikeouts while hitting .567 with three home runs and a team-leading 36 RBIs.

Roush was exceptional all year long, batting .558 to go along with 19 doubles, four triples and 32 RBIs. Estep led her Pirates to a second consecutive state championship, and Heath hit .536 alongside 12 bombs and 33 RBIs.

While Fairfield enjoyed a 19-win season, Quickle powered it by hitting .500 with 48 runs scored, 49 hits and 20 RBIs. She also tossed 143 1/3 innings while striking out 152 batters. Elsewhere, Barnhill hit .550 with five home runs, 29 RBIs and 44 hits while throwing 125 2/3 innings, sporting a 2.23 ERA.

Before heading to Ohio University, Tibbs cemented an exclamation mark on her career, leading her Vikings to another district championship. She hit .451, scored 45 runs and posted four homers, 25 stolen bases and 24 RBIs. In the circle, she had a 1.03 ERA and struck out 187 hitters.

Lastly, Rush was magnificent all spring. As the heartbeat of the state champion Titans, she led her teammates to a second consecutive state championship and continued to get better as the season went along.

Also earning all-state recognition was Chillicothe’s CJ Rittinger, Fairfield Union’s Ella Harmon, Gallia Academy’s Ava Angel, Ironton’s Khamil Martin, Wellston’s Maddie Childers, Adena’s Marly Halcomb, Peebles’ Kaelyn Musser, Valley’s Ryleigh Weeks, and Notre Dame’s pair of Maycee Ford and Alayla Soard — all of whom were second-team All-Ohio honorees.

The area’s honorable mention All-Ohioans are as follows: Jackson’s Maddie Wright, Meigs’ Natalie Goode, Southeastern’s Kylie Williams, Wheelersburg’s Mylee Gleim, Manchester’s Elliana Applegate, West’s Lainey Cook, Clay’s Elin Shaw, and Eastern Meigs’ Aedre Ault.

For a look at the entire All-Ohio list, click here.

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