Lakota West’s 2021 and 2022 softball teams will receive Hall of Honor recognition from the Butler County Softball Hall of Fame, The Report Ohio reported.
The teams had different state-tournament results. The 2021 Firebirds finished 30-2 and lost 4-2 to eventual champion Massillon Perry in an Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I state semifinal, according to OHSAA records.
The 2022 squad finished 28-4 and won the Division I championship, beating Holland Springfield 9-2 at Firestone Stadium in Akron, according to OHSAA’s tournament coverage.
In the title game, KK Mathis hit a two-run home run in the first inning, scoring Molly Grace. Haley Hibbard drove in three runs, and Belle Hummel singled home the Firebirds’ final run in the seventh.
Before that tournament, WCPO noted that Hamilton’s 1985 Class AAA title was Greater Cincinnati’s previous large-school softball state championship. Coach Keith Castner praised his seniors in that coverage: “They are very team-oriented. They love the game of softball.”
Hummel, Mathis and Grace are among seven women’s fastpitch inductees in the 2026 class. The others are Crystal Rains, Kat Burbrink, Kianah Towe and Madison Koger, according to The Report Ohio.
The class also includes three men’s softball inductees and two special award recipients. The Third Street Financial Team will also receive Hall of Honor recognition.
A meet-and-greet is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7, from 6 to 10 p.m. at Berd’s Grill & Bar, 500 Wessel Drive in Fairfield. The awards ceremony is Sunday, Nov. 8, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Receptions Event Center, 5975 Boymel Drive. The Report Ohio says tickets are available through the Hall of Fame’s Venmo account.
