Beavercreek's baseball team made the most of their moment in the spotlight at Great American Ball Park, blanking Ryle (KY) 6-0 in the Reds Futures High School Showcase on Friday, May 15. Easton Grimm earned PNC MVP honors for his standout performance, helping the Beavers notch their fourth straight win and improve to 18-5 overall. The momentum doesn't stop there—they're set for another out-of-state challenge against Roncalli (IN) on Saturday, May 16.
The action at the home of the Cincinnati Reds continues Saturday with three more area teams taking the field for the showcase's 11th annual Big League Weekend. Greater Catholic Co-Ed champion Badin squares off against Greater Western Ohio Conference champion Centerville at 10 a.m., followed by Edgewood vs. St. Xavier at 1 p.m., and Roger Bacon vs. Walnut Hills at 4 p.m. For these young athletes, it's a chance to play on a big-league stage and create memories that last a lifetime.
Back on local diamonds, Lakota East edged Lakota West 5-4 in a rivalry showdown, with Donovan Corbett driving in the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning. Braydon Johnson homered in the loss for Lakota West, but East completed the series sweep. Monroe kept rolling with a 7-3 win over Franklin, their fifth straight victory pushing them to 18-4. Owen Daniels-Day and Jayden Hounchell each drove in two runs to fuel the offense.
Dayton Christian put on an offensive clinic, crushing Meadowdale 26-0 behind a combined shutout from Chris Hodge and Logan Orwick. Hodge also added a home run to his stellar day. Talawanda celebrated senior night in style, topping Preble Shawnee 11-1 as Ethan Hainline and Mason Merz each plated two runs and Austin Puckett earned the win on the mound.
Troy Christian rode a four-RBI performance from Will Twiss to a 13-2 victory over Franklin Monroe, while Bethel's Ethan Maxwell drove in four runs and Mason Stortenbecker added three RBI in a 16-6 win over Indian Lake. Troy needed extra drama, singling in the winning run for a 3-2 walk-off victory over Covington, improving to 24-3. Tri-Village capped an undefeated run in WOAC play with a 17-5 win over Mississinawa Valley, securing their third straight conference title.
In softball action, Anna clinched the SCAL title with a 7-5 win over Russia, while Houston's Makenna Vondenhuevel was unhittable, striking out 16 in a no-hitter to beat Botkins 1-0 and wrap up the regular season. Anna also topped Sidney 8-3, with Wannemacher going 2-for-3 with two RBI.