HUMBOLDT — What turned into a late game lead couldn’t be finished by the Marmaton Valley High softball team in a 2-1A Regional playoff loss to Rosalia Flinthills on Monday.
The Wildcats took an 11-10 lead in the fifth inning when Mary Brown scored on a wild pitch but the lead wouldn’t last long as Flinthills scored six runs across the fifth and sixth innings to take a 16-12 victory in the first round regional matchup.
It was back and forth all night beginning when Marmaton Valley took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, followed by Flinthills scoring five runs across the first two innings for the 5-3 lead. Flinthills took a lead as big as six runs, 10-4, in the third but the Wildcats answered back.
Marmaton Valley scored five runs in the fourth inning before plating another two runs in the fifth for the 11-10 advantage. It didn’t last though as Flinthills responded with six runs in the final three innings to put a cap on a 16-12 Marmaton Valley loss.
Braelyn Sutton walked in the first at bat of the game and later scored on a Payton Scharff RBI groundout for the early one run lead.
Flinthills responded by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning as their first three batters each scored. The Mustangs then brought two more runs across home plate in the bottom of the second inning to take a 5-3 lead.
Haylee Lanham singled and Bailey LaRue was hit by a pitch before both scored to knot the game at 3-3. Lanham then scored again in the top of the third when she singled and scored on a steal and throwing error at third base which allowed her to come around and make it 5-4.
Rosalia Flinthills broke the score open in the bottom of the third when they brought across five runs, started with a Emily Scribner RBI groundout and concluded on a Karynn Gleason steal of home plate on a wild pitch for the 10-4 lead heading to the fourth.
The Wildcats responded right away when B. Sutton ripped a two-run single to left field for the 10-6 deficit early in the fourth. Lanham then shot a three-run triple to right field to make it a 10-9 game later in the inning.
After Flinthills was held scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, Marmaton Valley tacked on two runs in the top of the fifth inning. It started with a Braelyn Sutton RBI double ground ball to the pitcher which plated Brown before she scored on the wild pitch for the 11-10 lead.
Three more runs came across in the bottom of the fifth for Flinthills on an RBI double, RBI single and a bases loaded walk to put the Wildcats in a 13-11 hole.
Lanham scored the final Marmaton Valley run in the top of the sixth inning when she scored on a throwing error to make it 13-12 but Flinthills scored three runs in the bottom half to take their 16-12 victory.
T. Sutton started in the pitching circle for Marmaton Valley and didn’t make it to the second inning before being replaced by Braelyn Sutton who pitched until the bottom of the sixth inning. That’s when Payton Scharff came in to finish the inning in the sixth.
The Wildcats totaled 10 hits, led by Braelyn Sutton’s team-high four hits while Lanham and Brown each had two hits. Brooklyn Adams and Lanham each scored a team-high three runs.
Rosalia Flinthills will face off against Yates Center at Central Heights on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
