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Lady Tigers advance to WCC title game, fall to Warrensburg
The Nevada Lady Tigers softball team emphatically snapped a seven-game losing skid over the weekend at the West Central Conference tournament, winning its opening two games before falling to Warrensburg in the championship game.
Nevada (9-10 overall) broke back into the win column in Saturday’s opening game at Smith-Cotton High School, by rolling to a 10-0 victory over the St. Pius X Lady Warriors. The Lady Tigers led 2-0, before exploding for eight runs in the sixth to put the contest on ice.
In the circle for Nevada, sophomore starter Hailee Lundine allowed just three hits en route to the win. At the dish, freshman Tylin Heathman went 3-for-3 with a triple and RBI, while Lundine also tripled and drove in a run. Junior first baseman Emily Johnson and sophomore Maggie Leisure added a pair of extra base hits for Nevada.
“Hailee did a fantastic job in the circle,” said Lady Tigers head coach, Tammy Holcomb. “She was able to locate the fastball and use her change-up to keep batters guessing. Our defense worked well behind her and our bats were hot.”
The blowout victory advanced Nevada into the semifinals, where they met up with host Smith-Cotton High School. Nevada was plating runs early and often, scoring two in the first, and a run apiece in the second, third, fourth and sixth innings to go in front 6-0. Smith-Cotton finally broke through with a run in the seventh for the final 6-1 margin.
Returning for Nevada in the circle, Lundine held the opponent’s bats in check for a second straight game.
“Hailee did a nice job and we limited our errors to only one, so we were very pleased with that,” noted Holcomb.
At the dish, junior catcher Cameron Holcomb and Leisure finished with to two hits apiece, while senior Haiden Richmond went 1-or-2. “We had many players up-and-down the lineup that contributed,” said Holcomb.
The championship game was a rematch of Nevada’s Sept. 14 contest with Warrensburg at Bushwhacker Field, in which southpaw pitcher Maci Cunconan lifted Warrensburg to a 3-1, extra inning victory.
Despite a strong offensive performance against Cunconan in Saturday’s WCC title tilt, the Lady Tigers fell 11-8.
With Warrensburg leading 2-1 entering the bottom of the third, Nevada broke out in a major way against Cunconan, plating three runs in the frame to go in front 5-2.
The Lady Tigers led 6-3 through five innings of play, but Warrensburg went back in front 8-6, with a five-run sixth inning. Warrensburg then tacked on three more runs in the top of the seventh to grab an 11-6 advantage.
The Lady Tigers plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but that was as close as they would get.
“Maggie kept us in the game early and our bats were hot,” said Holcomb, referring to the Lady Tigers four-run third inning. “As the game progressed we let the pressure get to us a little both offensively and defensively.”
For Warrensburg, Cunconan collected the victory in the high scoring affair, while also going 4-for-5 at the plate. For Nevada, Leisure, Lundine and Holcomb chipped in two RBI apiece.
“After our girls were able to break back into the win column this weekend great things are ready to happen,” said Holcomb.
Up next
The Lady Tigers returned to the diamond Monday for a non-conference road contest with the Pleasant Hill Chicks. Check a future edition of the Daily Mail for a recap of the contest