Ontario advances to district title with 100th career win for Burke
Jamie Burke reaches milestone as Ellie Dawson ties home run record; Ontario faces Maumee in championship.
Ontario secured a place in the Division III district championship with an 11-9 victory over Lexington in a semifinal contest held in Willard on May 21. The win marks a significant milestone for head coach Jamie Burke, who recorded her 100th career victory, splitting her success evenly between her previous tenure at Wynford and her current role at Ontario.
The game featured a volatile offensive exchange, with Lexington opening the scoring with three runs in the first inning before Ontario responded with five. Lexington regained momentum with three runs in the second, but Ontario maintained control by adding runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Heading into the bottom of the fourth, Ontario held a narrow 7-6 lead.
The Warriors extended their advantage with four insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ellie Dawson hit her 13th home run of the season, tying the program’s single-season record. Brinlee Kreger followed with an RBI single, and Sophie Schuster added a two-run homer to left field, shifting the momentum decisively in Ontario’s favour.
Lexington refused to concede, scoring three runs in the top of the seventh inning and bringing the go-ahead run to the plate. However, Schuster struck out the final batter to end the threat and secure the win. Alexis Cantrell led Lexington with four hits and four RBIs, including a home run, as the Lady Lex finished the season with a 13-11 record.
Ontario recorded 16 hits in total, with Kreger and Brylie Ireland each contributing four hits. Kreger, who described her first-inning bunt single as a surprise even to herself, expressed a strong desire to lead her teammates to another tournament run, inspired by her freshman year experience.
Burke, now 50-28 with the Warriors, reflected on the achievement of reaching 100 wins across two schools. She praised the team’s cohesion and the seniors’ dedication to winning the right way. The Warriors will now face Maumee in the district championship game at noon on May 23 at Oregon Clay.
