By BO ALLEGRUCCI
Salina Journal
The mighty might have fallen a few notches this season, but think again if you thought they fell too far.
The Sacred Heart softball team rallied to force extra innings Tuesday at Bill Burke Park and then stunned rival Southeast of Saline 2-1 in the ninth, bringing home a fourth consecutive Class 3A regional crown to the Knight dynasty.
Each of the previous three were complemented with a state championship during Sacred Heart's historic 72-game win streak, and this Knight shift will head to Manhattan's Twin Oaks Complex next week with an 18-5 record.
"We're finally starting to peak at the right time, and it's a total team effort," Sacred Heart coach Courtney Turpin said. "We're hitting the ball well right now, our defense has come together, and our leaders are stepping up. I think this team took a while to figure itself out, but they've hung together and they're playing their best ball up and down the lineup right now."
That being said, a superb Southeast of Saline team that split with the Knights in the regular season will sit out the state tournament yet again despite a 17-6 record. The Trojans had their chances -- and a 1-0 lead in the sixth inning -- Tuesday before paying dearly for the few mistakes they made late in the game.
Southeast junior Cassie Schlesener doubled and scored her team's only run in the fourth inning, and despite giving up line drives left and right in the circle, she struck out four and walked zero in a complete-game three-hitter.
Her counterpart, Knight sophomore Caitie Ziegler, held the Trojans to just four hits in nine frames, walking four and striking out two. Both pitchers took no-hitters into the third inning.
"We never did hit Ziegler as well as we hit other pitchers this year, and they (Sacred Heart) were very aggressive at the plate and jumped on Cassie whenever they could," Southeast coach Pesha Ptacek said. "I definitely thought we'd score more than one run in that game, but one run still should've been enough. Both teams took advantage of mistakes, but both teams played great too, and we just made one more mistake than they did."
With the Knights lining first-pitch fastballs all over the field to no avail, Sacred Heart shortstop Abby Wittman finally broke up Schlesener's no-hitter with a two-out double in the top of the fourth. Wittman went to third on a passed ball, but she was stranded there, and Southeast lit the scoreboard in its next at-bat.
Schlesener ended Ziegler's no-no with a bloop double down the left field line, and on the next play, Ziegler fielded a come-backer with Schlesener hung out to dry between second and third base. Ziegler, however, turned and threw to first without even looking at her counterpart on the baseline, and that proved critical when Kaley Rodriguez doubled home Schlesener three pitches later.
Sacred Heart designated hitter Kelci Mack delivered a leadoff double in the top of the sixth, and she tied the game with an unearned run after Rodriguez dropped the third out on a routine play at first.
That error ultimately proved fatal to Southeast of Saline. The Trojans had two on and two out in the bottom of the sixth and again in the eighth only to come up empty, and Sacred Heart decided they'd seen enough in the top of the ninth.
Knight first baseman Tracy Hoelting was down in the count 0-2 before leading off the ninth with a single up the middle, and she took second on a passed ball before Wittman stepped into the batter's box with one out.
"I knew I was scoring when I went to the plate in that last inning," Hoelting said. "I didn't want anyone other than me leading off. I wanted it so bad, and I was going to try to score no matter what. I'm not the fastest player on our team anymore, but I've been on base in so many big games and I knew my baserunning knowledge would get me home if nothing else."
Wittman waited for a 1-1 count before connecting with a high, outside riser from Schlesener, and a stiff northerly wind carried Wittman's high fly ball toward the fence in straight-away right field. Southeast right fielder Charliey Staab reached high over her head to make a tremendous back-pedaling catch, but her momentum sent her tumbling to the ground. Hoelting tagged from second and raced all the way home with the go-ahead run.
"I knew if we got a runner on, we could win the game right there, and I just wanted to make contact and try to get the ball to the outfield," Wittman said. "Their girl (Staab) made a great catch, but Tracy was unbelievable once she got on base, and was just glad I hit the ball and got it deep enough to get the run in.
"A home run would've been even better, but I'm just glad to get this game over with and get a big win like this. They're a great team (Southeast), and that was such an intense game from start to finish."
Southeast of Saline got the tying run aboard with two outs in their final at-bat, but Ziegler shut the door on the Trojans season with her 11th groundball out.
Earlier in the day, Southeast run-ruled Republic County 10-0 in five innings and Sacred Heart belted Beloit 8-1 to set up the regional finals rubber match between the Saline County rivals. Beloit senior Brittany Berndt touched Ziegler for a leadoff single in the top of he fifth and scored the only non-Sacred Heart/Southeast run of the day in the semifinals.
©Salina Journal