Shawnee (24-3) beat Blanchester 10-0 in six innings at National Trail High School on Thursday to win its third district title in the last five years.
Braves sophomore Lily Wilson went 4-for-4 with two RBIs, senior Maura Simpson went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and sophomore Nicole Greene added two RBIs.
Shawnee scored five in the fifth and three in the sixth inning to pull away for good. Shawnee pitcher Aleeseah Trimmer threw six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out nine.
Northwestern (17-8) beat Reading 10-0 in five innings Thursday to win its first district title since 2017.
Warriors pitcher Sophia Pamer tossed a no-hitter, allowing one walk with nine strikeouts. Junior Olivia Deane went 3-for-3 with a triple and five RBIs, and senior Azzy Hammer and freshman Julia Shaw each had two RBIs for Northwestern, which jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the second inning. The Warriorsscored two in the fourth and fifth innings to seal the championship.
Shawnee beat Northwestern twice during Central Buckeye Conference Mad River Division play en route to their first conference title since 1977. The Braves beat the Warriors 4-2 on April 14. Two days later, Shawnee won again 7-4 in 10 innings.
The Braves have won nine straight against the Warriors dating back to the 2019 season.
In the other D-V regional semifinal, Miami East will play either Baltimore Liberty Union or Centerburg. The Shawnee-Northwestern winner will advance to play one of those three schools in the Region 20 final.
The OHSAA state softball championships are scheduled for June 4-8 at Akron’s Firestone Stadium.
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