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Girard downs Fort Scott, goes on to win Regional
By Scott Nuzum
Herald-Tribune
FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- Girard defeated Fort Scott 6-1 in a semifinal game of the Fort Scott Class 4A Regional Softball Tourna-ment at Don Hewett Field Friday, then went on to knock off top-seeded Labette County 7-1 in the championship game and earn a berth into next week's Kansas Class 4A State Softball Tournament at Salina.
Labette County, the Southeast Kansas League champion, won the first semifinal contest 4-3 over rival Parsons.
Girard (19-2) exploited Fort Scott's defense -- which had changed yet again after an injury to shortstop Devan Lloyd -- bunting frequently and putting pressure on the Tigers (6-12) to make the plays.
"Devan injured her MCL," Fort Scott head coach Alvin Metcalf said. "She's out 2 to 4 weeks and that ended her softball for this year. So we put in Kelsey Middleton, who's never played shortstop. She's a catcher and first baseman."
Injuries were a major issue for the Tigers this season. Third baseman, Erin Coffman, the team's only senior, re-injured her shoulder while batting during the season-opening tournament. Catcher Jade Weeter played most of the season with a broken finger. Then Lloyd got hurt. At least three position changes were made to make up for the injuries.
Fort Scott made some of the plays Girard forced the to make. But the Tigers couldn't make all of the plays. Girard had two successful sacrifice bunts but also forced four errors by Fort Scott infielders.
Girard's two pitchers also kept the Tigers from making any headway offensively. Kenzie Dunlap allowed only 3 hits and 3 walks in 5 innings while striking out 10. Peyton Herlocker allowed just 2 hits while striking out 4 in the final 2 innings.
Fort Scott's only run scored in the fifth inning, when Hannah Tourtillott hustled on a 2-out grounder to beat the throw, allowing Sidney Maycumber to score. But Dunlap got out of further trouble -- the bases were loaded -- with a strikeout.
Maycumber was the only Tiger with 2 hits.
After a scoreless first inning, the Trojans got on the board in the bottom of the second when Kylie Kunshek drove in Jordan Davied with a double.
In the third, two Tiger errors helped Girard score twice. The Trojans added single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth.
"They capitalized when they needed to," Metcalf said. "And that's the sign of a good team. We can play with them. I don't think they'd beat us 6-1 every time."
Hope McLeod was 2 for 3 for Girard with a fourth-inning double included.
Pitcher Jenna Harper, just the third sophomore in the history of the FSHS program to start there as a sophomore, allowed 4 earned runs on 6 hits and 4 walks. She struck out 3.
"Jenna struggled a little bit today," Metcalf said. "She wasn't as on as she was on Monday night (a first-round victory over Chanute)."
Coffman, who had a hit, graduates and will play at Fort Scott Community College next season.
"Erin struggled through her injury this year," Metcalf said. "She could play defense but she had trouble swinging the bat due to the injury. You can't ask for one player, like Erin, who is just a spark.
"But like I told the girls out there: This is probably the most fun I've had coaching a team, watching six freshmen who are on the varsity, a senior, three juniors and two sophomores mature. I've had a lot of fun this year with these girls. It was a year when you wanted to get to practice because you knew something good was going to happen. And that's what we're looking forward to next year. We're young and bringing all these young ladies back next year."
Labette County 4, Parsons 3
Although this was Labette County's 20th victory of the season, they probably hadn't had any tougher than the first semifinal with county rival Parsons (10-10).
LCHS scored 2 unearned runs in the bottom of the second inning to take the lead. Parsons scored 1 in the third and 1 again in the fourth to tie it.
Parsons had the bases loaded in the top of the fifth with one out but Reynolds got out of trouble with consecutive strikeouts. In the bottom of the inning, LCHS had runners on second and third with one out but couldn't bring them home.
The Grizzlies reclaimed the lead with 2 more unearned runs in the sixth. Pitcher Allie Reynolds reached base on an error. Leah Myers bunted her over to second and she scored from there on a 2-out double by Kelsie Goins. Goins scored what held up as the winning run when Chaneya Booth singled.
Parsons scored a run in the top of the seventh. Da'Zaneece Werner doubled to lead off the inning and scored on Taylor Kemp's single. She moved to second on a throwing error. But a fly-ball out and a strikeout ended the game, giving LCHS the victory.
Reynolds allowed 1 earned run on 6 hits and 5 walks while striking out 12. Booth was 3 for 3 at the plate with 3 runs batted in.
Taylor Kemp allowed no earned runs on 7 hits for Parsons. She didn't walk anyone and struck out 5. She was also 2 for 4 at the plate while Werner went 2 for 3.
Championship: Girard 7, Labette County 1.
Dunlap dominated again in the circle for the Trojans as she spun a 2-hitter, allowing 1 walk while striking out 8.
The Trojans scored all the runs they really needed in the top of the third with the aid of four Grizzly errors. LCHS scored its only run in the bottom of that inning.
Labette County committed a total of 6 errors. Three of the runs Reynolds allowed were unearned. She allowed 9 hits and 4 walks with 7 strikeouts.
Davied was 3 for 3 with 3 RBI for Girard. Dunlap went 2 for 2 and McLeod was 2 for 3.
Goins and Morgan Wulf had Labette County's only hits.