Adams County softball teams learn district tournament matchups, postseason paths

North Adams got the kind of draw that can turn a big regular season into a real postseason run. The Lady Devils, already sitting at 18-4 and coming off the first-ever Southern Hills Athletic Conference big-school title for the program, earned the No. 5 seed in Division V and will host No. 20 Albany Alexander on Wednesday, May 13, at 5 p.m.

For Adams County, that opener is the game that could define the local postseason picture. A win sends Paula Armstrong’s team deeper into a bracket that points toward a possible semifinal at Ohio University on May 19 and a district championship there on May 22. With the Lady Devils already marked as one of the county’s strongest teams, the home date against Albany Alexander gives them the clearest path to keep playing into late May.

West Union faces the opposite end of the bracket. The Lady Dragons, 4-12, landed the No. 22 seed in Division V and must travel to No. 3 Piketon for a May 13 quarterfinal. The matchup leaves little margin for error, but it also gives West Union one clean chance to spring the upset that would change the county’s postseason outlook in a hurry.

Division VI brought home games for both Peebles and Manchester. Peebles, at 13-5, earned the No. 4 seed and will host No. 13 Federal Hocking on Monday, May 12, at 5 p.m. Manchester, 11-8, drew the No. 7 seed and will host No. 10 Paint Valley at 5 p.m. the same day. Those two games may end up being the most immediate swing points for county fans, since both teams open at home with a chance to set up a deeper district stay.

The Southeast District brackets were released Sunday afternoon, giving all four Adams County programs their road maps through the Ohio High School Athletic Association tournament structure. OHSAA lists Ohio University and Unioto High School among the district tournament sites for the Southeast District, with district quarterfinals set for May 13 and the Division III through Division VII seed-and-draw meeting held May 3. The state tournament will be played at Firestone Stadium in Akron, but for Adams County, the first question is much closer to home: which local team can turn one May win into a run that lasts through the rest of the month.