Derrick Webb, Managing Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
WELLSTON — There are no chinks in Notre Dame’s armor.
In fact, the defending Division VII state champions may be even better than they were in 2025.
That was apparent on Thursday night in Wellston as the Titans handed Clay a decisive 10-0 loss in a Division VII district championship game — the program’s seventh consecutive district crown.
In two district tournament contests, Notre Dame outscored opponents by a 28-0 tally to advance.
“I’m thrilled with the girls,” Ford said. “We batted four times against two pitchers that, probably, are Division I pitchers [Clay’s Elin Shaw and Alayna Shepherd]. So kudos to our team. We came out and hit, scored that many runs and it’s tournament time, so we were locked in that much more.”
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
The Titans (24-4) wasted zero time getting on the board, taking a 1-0 lead after an inning, thanks to an RBI single from Lyndsey Schaefer.
In the second, they piled on four more runs to take a commanding lead.
Kennedy Lyon started a four-run frame with an RBI single before Alayla Soard added a two-run double to the mix, pushing the Titans’ lead to 4-0. When Kate Entler singled to knock in Soard, Notre Dame was up 5-0 with Clay (21-8) unable to blink.
Soard was just getting started, though.
After Lyon sent a ball deep into right field that bounced around, allowing her to come all the way around to score for an inside-the-park home run, Soard launched a two-run bomb over the left field fence to make it 9-0 in the third.
“Alayla has been kind of cool for Alayla, but she caught fire tonight,” Ford said. “We didn’t move her in the lineup and it’s what we told her, it was, ‘Believe in it. You’re one of the best in the state.’ And she’s starting to produce, which is a scary thing for opponents with Kate [Entler] behind her. One through nine, we were locked in and jumped on them early.”
The night’s final run came in the fourth, thanks to an RBI groundout from Bella Rush, to round out the eventual final. Ava Rush struck out the side in the top of the fifth to seal the deal.
“The road gets tougher from here for sure,” Ford said. “I think we’re in the toughest region in the state with Conotton Valley, Strasburg-Franklin and, of course, Symmes Valley. So from here on out, we shouldn’t have any trouble being focused and ready to go.”
Statistically, Soard led the Titans with a 3-for-3 effort alongside a double, a homer, three runs and four RBIs. Entler was 2-for-2 with an RBI, and Lyon finished 2-for-2 with a home run, two runs scored and a trio of runs knocked in.
In the circle, Rush fired a three-hitter, striking out eight, while going 1-for-3 at the dish.
“Ava was spinning it tonight,” Ford said. “Kate is a big reason back there, too, at catcher. It was a cold night and it’s a wet field. I thought she was a little high with the mud and stuff, and it rained all day. Hopefully, we get a little better weather going forward. But she believes in her defense, had zero walks tonight and held it down. She’s one of the best.”
While the Panthers’ season comes to a close, Notre Dame advances to a Division VII regional semifinal at 2 p.m., Thursday at Ohio University.
The Tigers topped Frontier by a 16-2 final in their district championship game.
“It’s a different setting for us in the regional tournament,” Ford said. “We’re usually up at Pickerington Central and now it’s going to be a college stadium. But I think playing at Akron last year should help us a lot. Playing on big stages in big games, we’ll use that to our advantage a little bit. But overall, tonight, I’m just proud. We were good offensively, defensively, and we were disciplined.”
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