PAOLA — It took a day longer and 40 or so miles farther than expected, but Marmaton Valley High’s softball team finally opened the Class 2-1A Regional Playoffs in fine fashion Tuesday.
The Wildcats advanced with a 9-4 victory over Marais des Cygnes Valley to the Regional Semifinals today against Central Heights, an 18-13 winner over Uniontown.
Meanwhile, Crest’s season came to an end with a 6-0 loss to Lyndon in their regional opener.
Both the Wildcats and Crest were expecting to play Monday at regional host Jayhawk-Linn. But stormy weather forced organizers to push the competition back a day and to a new site in Paola.
The Wildcats (14-5) took control with three in the second and five in the third.
The bottom of the order keyed both rallies.
Payton and Kendall Scharff opened the second with walks before Bailey LaRue loaded the bases with a single. Brooklyn Adams ripped a two-run single as part of the three-run rally.
Kayla Ard and Kendall Scharff had singles in the third as the Wildcats loaded the bases for Adams, who cleared those bases with a triple, pushing the lead to 5-0.
Gracie Yoho’s single brought home Adams before Roslyn Houk doubled and came around to score to make it 8-0.
Kayla Ard was perfect through the first 17 batters, allowing her first baserunner with two outs in the sixth.
Marais des Cygnes Valley scored a run in the inning, stringing together four hits to score twice in the seventh.
Kayla Ard wound up striking out 13 MDCV batters. She also aided her own cause at the plate with a single and double. Adams wound up with a single and triple. Both Kendall Scharff and Houk had singles and doubles. Tayven Sutton and Yoho each had a single.
Additional details of Crest’s loss were unavailable as of press time. The Lady Lancers end with a 6-15 record.
IN OTHER tournament action, top seed and unbeaten Jayhawk-Linn defeated Pleasanton, 13-0, to advance to the semifinal round.
The Jayhawks will play Lyndon, with the winner facing either Marmaton Valley or Central Heights tonight at about 6.
