Mason, on the other hand, advanced to its second state final four in three years and third straight regional final.
Now, both seem on another collision course for a meeting for the fifth time in six years in the regional finals after Lebanon grabbed the top seed in Dayton and Mason the top spot in Cincinnati.
“We have four members of our senior class who have seen the good times and the bad times and they have all worked hard and all of them are focused on making a run,” Lebanon coach Brian Kindell said. “And all of our underclassmen are following right along behind them.”
The Warriors enter the tournament as the second-ranked team in the latest Ohio High School Softball Coaches Association state poll. They will open tournament play against West Carrollton (3-18) on May 8. The winner plays Ponitz (3-3) on May 10 in the second round.
Lebanon could face state-ranked Milford (No. 6) in the regional semis.
“Creating the tournament is half the battle, now you have to go play it,” Kindell said. “We know the bull’s-eye that comes with that number one seed and we will be ready for that every time out.”
Despite being one of the top teams in the state over the past four years, Mason enters the tournament unranked in the state poll despite being the No. 1 seed in Cincinnati. Mason is 18-3, including losses to Lebanon and Hebron Lakewood, the top D-II team in the state.
The Comets open with a bye before hosting the winner between Seton (3-14) and Princeton (0-20) on May 10.
“It is a nice place to be,” Mason coach Liann Muff said of the top seed. “It is well deserved and nice for the girls. We kind of started slow, but we are right where we should be this time of year.”
Mason could face Lakota East for a third time this year in the regional semis.
East is ranked fifth in the state despite suffering a 8-1 loss to the Comets.
“We are not taking anything for granted,” Muff said. “We are going to face teams that are well coached and they are going to get better as we go through the tournament.
“The one thing about this team is they like being around each other and playing with each other. The younger players are learning a lot because the upper classmen have high goals and the under classmen are following along and it shows when we walk on a field.”
Kings is the fifth seed in Cincinnati with coach Mary Ellen Bonner opting to take the bye in the first round before facing the winner of Harrison (13-8) and Loveland (7-11) on May 10.
Fairfield could wait in the sectional final for the Knights.
“I do feel the team is coming together and they are ready to go into tournament,” Bonner said.
Little Miami opens as the eighth seed in Cincinnati and hosts 13th seed Turpin (10-11) in the first round on May 8. A win would move the Panthers into the second round May 10 against Oak Hills (9-11).
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