#3 Softball Shatters State HR Record & Beats State Champs

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3. Softball Shatters State HR Record & Beats State Champs

The 2011 Lady Leopards softball team compiled the best record in school history this past year going 24-2 overall and 23-1 in the regular season.  These girls belted a combined 25 home runs to break the Division I single season record previously held by Hudson (24 in 2009).

Louisville rampaged through their NBC opponents to begin the season outscoring them 36-1 in the first three contests.  A double header against Lake started off with a first inning Grand Slam by Chandler Rice and the Leps never looked back wining 9-1 and 11-6.  The only hiccup of the year came in the next contest verses Carrollton, a 7-1 home loss.

After two more NBC wins over Alliance and Marlington, Louisville came to their biggest week of the regular season.  A three-run third inning for the Leps and a gold-glove play in the seventh by shortstop Desi Givens helped Louisville escape with a 3-2 win over North Canton Hoover on April 18.  It was Louisville’s first win against the Vikings since a 2-1 victory back in 2002.  North Canton would go on to win the Division I State Championship in June, so Louisville’s victory over North Canton proved to be a win over the State Champs.  The Leopards and Vikings did not rematch in the playoffs.

Later in the week Louisville traveled to Beloit and knocked off West Branch 4-1 to take command of first place in the NBC.  Then on Saturday, April 23 on a muddy field in Perry township Louisville went up against the reigning Division I state champions.  The seesaw battled in game one appeared to tip towards the Leopards in the seventh when Jordan Monnot cracked a solo homer to give Louisville a 3-2 lead.  However, the Panthers answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning and the duel continued into extras.  Finally, in the tenth inning Rice tripled in Givens that eventually gave Louisville a 4-3 victory.  Louisville pitcher Brittany Flanigan struck out 13 Panthers in the contest.  In the second game of the double header the Leps found themselves down 5-3 in their final at-bat.  Louisville produced three-runs in the top half of the seventh inning to take a 6-5 lead that they would never relinquish.  Louisville had swept the defending state champions.

The Leopards continued to dominate the NBC and Federal League for the remainder of the regular season.  They also played their most complete offensive game of the year against Akron Hoban on April 29.  Louisville won 26-3 in only five innings (and only four innings at the plate).  The Leps pounded out 28 hits and Givens, Rice, and Monnot all hit home runs while at the same time teaching fans not to park their cars too close to the home run fence.

On May 16, the Leopards beat Canton McKinley in the Sectional Final 11-1 in six innings.  After several postponements, Louisville played Perry on a muggy May 21 day at Massillon Community Park.  The Panthers got revenge for the earlier sweep with a 2-0 victory.  The nightmare of the state tournament replaced the Lady Leps dreams of a State Title.

Louisville made up for it with a slugfest against Canton South on May 23 to complete the season.  Celebrating Senior Day, senior Amanda Dillon hit a home run to left field playing in her only varsity contest of the season.  Also, Givens hit two home runs to give Louisville a 4-0 victory over the Wildcats.  Her final home run gave her 10 for the season tying her for most home runs by an individual NBC player in a single season.  The homer also gave the Lady Leps the Division I State Record for most home runs for a team in a single season (25).

All-in-all this year’s Lady Leopards softball team was the best in the history of LHS.  They went 24-2 overall, 13-1 in the NBC, mercied seven of their opponents, and even earned a #2 state ranking that held up until the final poll.  Louisville’s softball future is bright and is poised to make another strong run in 2012.

Here’s a look back at the 2011 Softball Season:

PICTURES:

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GAMES:

Game Date Opponent W-L Louisville Opponent  
Scrim. 3/19 Copley W 6 5 8 Innings
Scrim. 3/26 at Tallmadge W 16 0  
1 3/29 West Branch W 11 0 6 Innings
2 4/1 Minerva W 11 1 5 Innings
3 4/7 at Canton South W 14 0  
4 4/9 at Lake W 9 1  
5 4/9 at Lake W 11 6  
6 4/13 Carrollton L 1 7  
7 4/14 at Alliance W 3 0  
8 4/15 at Marlington W 8 1  
9 4/18 North Canton Hoover W 3 2  
10 4/21 at West Branch W 4 1  
11 4/23 at Perry W 4 3 10 Innings
12 4/23 at Perry W 6 5  
13 4/26 at Minerva W 11 0 5 Innings
14 4/27 Canton McKinley W 9 1  
15 4/28 Marlington W 11 1 5 Innings
16 4/29 Akron Hoban W 26 3 5 Innings
17 5/4 Jackson W 9 2  
18 5/5 at Carrollton W 7 3  
19 5/6 Northwest W 10 3  
20 5/7 at GlenOak W 12 1 5 Innings
21 5/7 at GlenOak W 4 2  
22 5/11 Alliance W 2 0  
23 5/12 at Northwest W 10 4  
  5/14 at Boardman CANCELLED      
  5/14 Vs. Poland (at Boardman) CANCELLED      
    SECTIONAL (at Louisville)        
24 5/16 Canton McKinley W 11 1 6 Innings
    DISTRICT (at Massillon)        
25 5/21 Vs. Perry L 0 2  
    REGULAR SEASON        
26 5/23 Canton South W 4 0  

2010-11 Top Memories Countdown:

11. Girls Tennis Captures 12th League Title

10. Poyser Wins District Championship

9. Comeback in Carrollton!

8. Boys Basketball Beats Hoover for First Time After Nine Tries

7. Baseball Wins NBC Outright and Sectional Championship

6. Volleyball Takes NBC & Sectional Title

5. Track Sweeps the NBC, Boys Earn First Title Since 1973

4. Lady Leps End Boardman’s Streak During 20-Win Season

3. Softball Shatters State HR Record & Beats State Champs

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Check back on Leopard Nation to see which memories of 2010-11 were the greatest…

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