By BOB DAVIDSON

Salina Journal

The Sacred Heart Knights know there's a big target on their backs, having won three consecutive state softball championships.

But they aren't letting the ghosts of past successes weigh on their minds as they enter postseason play.

"We're obviously the team beat, but we're the two seed this year so we're just coming out and playing hard every night," first-year coach Courtney Turpin said. "We're taking it one at-bat at a time, one inning at a time, one pitch at a time."

The Knights (16-5) opened postseason play this year much the way they have in the past -- with an impressive victory. They routed Lyons 14-2 in a five-inning contest Monday in the first round of their Class 3A regional tournament at Bill Burke Park.

Sacred Heart plays Republic County at 4:30 p.m. today in the semifinals. Republic County eliminated Bennington 10-2 Monday. Top-seeded Southeast of Saline takes on Beloit in the other semifinal, also at 4:30. Beloit ousted Ellsworth 14-4 Monday.

The championship game is scheduled for 6:15 p.m., with the winner advancing to the 3A state tournament next week in Manhattan. Sacred Heart and Southeast split their two games during the regular season.

Sacred Heart got a sensational effort from sophomore pitcher Caitie Ziegler in Monday's game. She allowed three hits, struck out five and walked one.

"She did a great job," Turpin said of Ziegler. "She came out focused and we talked about working ahead in the count, which she did."

The Knights backed Ziegler with an 12-hit attack that was highlighted by Cristina Arias' two-run homer to center field in the first inning. It was her first homer of the season.

"I didn't know if it was going to go over (the fence), so I was running pretty hard," said Arias, the Knights' senior catcher.

Sacred Heart scored three runs in the first inning, six in the second and four in the third to put the game out of reach. Jessica Francis was 4 for 4, Tracy Hoelting 3 for 4 and Kaytryn Streit 2 for 3 for the Knights.

Ziegler appreciated the run support, but said it's a mixed bag.

"That's probably not a good thing," she said. "I think I throw better when the pressure's on."

Lyons (4-17) contributed five errors to the Knights' cause -- two in the second inning that led to four unearned runs.

Arias said she likes her team's chances.

"We're getting there," she said. "The year started off pretty shaky, but we're getting there."

Ziegler agrees, but says this team should be judged on its own merits.

"We're such a different team, we lost so many big players last year," she said. "We're just playing our positions and going out there and having fun.

"One game at a time, definitely."

"We're obviously the team beat, but we're the two seed this year so we're just coming out and playing hard every night," first-year coach Courtney Turpin said. "We're taking it one at-bat at a time, one inning at a time, one pitch at a time."

The Knights (16-5) opened postseason play this year much the way they have in the past -- with an impressive victory. They routed Lyons 14-2 in a five-inning contest Monday in the first round of their Class 3A regional tournament at Bill Burke Park.

Sacred Heart plays Republic County at 4:30 p.m. today in the semifinals. Republic County eliminated Bennington 10-2 Monday. Top-seeded Southeast of Saline takes on Beloit in the other semifinal, also at 4:30. Beloit ousted Ellsworth 14-4 Monday.

The championship game is scheduled for 6:15 p.m., with the winner advancing to the 3A state tournament next week in Manhattan. Sacred Heart and Southeast split their two games during the regular season.

Sacred Heart got a sensational effort from sophomore pitcher Caitie Ziegler in Monday's game. She allowed three hits, struck out five and walked one.

"She did a great job," Turpin said of Ziegler. "She came out focused and we talked about working ahead in the count, which she did."

The Knights backed Ziegler with an 12-hit attack that was highlighted by Cristina Arias' two-run homer to center field in the first inning. It was her first homer of the season.

"I didn't know if it was going to go over (the fence), so I was running pretty hard," said Arias, the Knights' senior catcher.

Sacred Heart scored three runs in the first inning, six in the second and four in the third to put the game out of reach. Jessica Francis was 4 for 4, Tracy Hoelting 3 for 4 and Kaytryn Streit 2 for 3 for the Knights.

Ziegler appreciated the run support, but said it's a mixed bag.

"That's probably not a good thing," she said. "I think I throw better when the pressure's on."

Lyons (4-17) contributed five errors to the Knights' cause -- two in the second inning that led to four unearned runs.

Arias said she likes her team's chances.

"We're getting there," she said. "The year started off pretty shaky, but we're getting there."

Ziegler agrees, but says this team should be judged on its own merits.

"We're such a different team, we lost so many big players last year," she said. "We're just playing our positions and going out there and having fun.

"One game at a time, definitely."