Softball: Nicholson, Dennison lead Hilliard Bradley to first regional championship
Friday, May 29, 2026
By Michael Rich
mrichnotwealthy@gmail.com
Hilliard Bradley’s Avery Zwilling (right) and pitcher Mickey Moody share a moment during their regional championship win over Gahanna at Big Walnut Friday. Photo: John Hulkenberg
There was a moment in the bottom of the first inning that encapsulated the Hilliard Bradley softball team’s drive to their first Division I regional championship on May 29 at Big Walnut.
Senior catcher Taylor Nicholson, who reached base with a two-out walk and was lifted for courtesy runner Maddie Zwilling. On Nicholson’s way back to the dugout, she stopped and talked to the next batter Lucy Bennett and then the on-deck hitter Lainey Dennison.
Bennett worked a walk and Dennison followed with a two-run single, grounding a ball down the third-base line to give the Jaguars a 2-0 lead.
Dennison was the last of four consecutive batters that reached with two outs and jump-started second-ranked Bradley to a 9-5 victory over fourth-ranked Gahanna.
Bradley’s Lainey Dennison joins her teammates preparing to take the field for the Jaguars’ regional final game against Gahanna at Big Walnut Friday. Photo: John Hulkenberg
“We faced a lot of different types of pitchers and we had to sit back (on Gahanna starter Fotini Belak),” Dennison said. “(Nicholson) was just like, ‘Remember what we talked about. Sit back on it and just drive it.’ She told me to just do what I do best. I feel like the biggest thing with hitting is you don’t want to be like, ‘Oh, no. I hope I don’t stress out.’ I’m going to hit this ball. My team needs these runs – I’m going to hit this ball.”
The Jaguars, making their first appearance in the state tournament, advance to play Centerville June 3 at Firestone Stadium in Akron.
Dennison finished with two hits and drove in three runs and Sammie Moodie and Aubrey Allen each two hits and two RBIs while Avery Zwilling scored three times, reaching base on a hit and a walk to lead the Jaguars (25-5), who never trailed.
“Taylor is such a cerebral player,” Bradley coach Kevin Moody said. “She analyzes the pitcher (and) where they are. Maybe she can pick something up … how she’s holding her hands (or the umpire), ‘Hey, watch it. He’s not calling outside (strikes).’ She’s a great asset to have, for sure.”
Bradley scored twice more in the second inning, added a run in the fourth and blew it open in the sixth, scoring four runs as Gahanna committed three errors in the frame.
Bradley’s Taylor Nicholson (left) tags Gahanna’s Bella Costa at the plate during the teams’ regional final game at Big Walnut Friday. Photo: John Hulkenberg
“They made plays and (had) more clutch hitting,” Lions coach Matt Bailey said. “I believe we left the person on third three or four innings where they had two outs in the first inning, and they hit the ball down the line. They won in (the clutch hitting) department and they played better defense.
Gahanna’s Bella Costa scored two runs, one off a two-run home run in the seventh inning and Kira Bailey and Adrionna Dunton had two hits apiece. Kira Bailey swiped two bags to pass her sister Kirnan, a 2023 Gahanna graduate, for third on the state’s single-season stolen base record book with 76.
The Lions (24-6), which haven’t reached the state tournament since 2017, were regional runners-up last year as well.
“Last year, we went on a run,” coach Bailey said. “This year, we had a little more expectation on where we wanted to go. We just didn’t play well enough. We didn’t make enough plays (and) our defense really struggled throughout the tournament.”
Nicholson, who also reached base with a hit, said her conversations in the first inning weren’t out of the ordinary.
Bradley’s Sammie Moody celebrates after scoring a run against Gahanna in the Jaguars’ regional final win Friday at Big Walnut. Photo: John Hulkenberg
“Even if I get out, I’m always talking to our next batter just trying to help them out in whatever way I can,” she said. “It’s a thing we try to do with every single person as soon as they come back into the dugout. If you’re not running the bases, you’re talking to your dugout – talking to the next person up.”
Mickie Moody allowed three unearned runs over five innings and Bennett allowed two runs, one earned, over the final two innings for Bradley.
Belak (3 2/3 innings) and Carlson (2 1/3 innings) split time in the circle for the Lions.
“I think it shows all the work we put in – all the lifting sessions we didn’t want to be at (and) all the conditioning we didn’t want to do,” Nicholson said. “We’re just doing everything we can and not worrying about the outcome. Taking care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves.”
Moody has coached for 41 years throughout the Hilliard school district, leading Darby to a state championship in 2000. He’s coached Bradley since it opened in 2009.
“It’s good for the kids and good for our school,” he said. “I mean, our basketball team made the state final. For us to (make state) as well, it shows a lot of spiriting in the kids. We hope we can show well in Akron.”
Gahanna shortstop Kira Bailey makes a throw during the Lions’ regional final against Bradley at Big Walnut Friday. With two stolen bases, Bailey passed her sister Kirnan for third all-time in the state with 76 steals. Photo: John Hulkenberg