By MATT PIKE
Ahead of the start of Class 2 District 7 tournament on Thursday, the Mid-Buchanan Dragons softball team clinched a share of the KCI regular season title beating the Lathrop Mules 11-6.
In a makeup of a game originally scheduled September 29th, that could be a preview of the district championship, the Dragons scored five runs in the bottom of the first to take a lead on the Mules, after Lathrop scored two in the top half of the inning, and never looked back from there on way to a win which was nearly delayed by lightning before the teams finished the game out.
A groundout by Jo Ashcraft scored Rheagan Hall and a sacrifice fly by Tylie Pritchett brought home Jacie Kassanavoid to give the Mules a 2-0 lead, but in the bottom half an RBI single from Dru Pearson scored Sophia Smith and a two RBI single from Paisley Meyer drove in both Pearson and Ellason Lisenbee for the lead. Another two RBI single by Janika Seckel scored Keithley Black and Brooklee Thomas for the 5-2 Mid-Buchanan lead at the end of one inning.
After a scoreless second inning, the Mules got within one run in thee top half of the third after Arlie Hawkins singled to drive in Paige Eichinger and Prestynn Coldren came home with an RBI single by Emery Mazurkewycz. The Dragons added a run in the bottom half, Seckel driving in her third run of the game scoring Thomas, then added two more in the fourth inning with Smith scoring on an error by Lathrop third baseman Rylee Coots and Lisenbee coming home on a sacrifice fly from Pearson making it 8-4.
Mid-Buchanan held the four run lead until the sixth inning, when Zuzu Kountz and Smith led off the bottom of the inning with back-to back home runs. After a line out by Lisenbee, the Dragons added their final run with the third home run of the inning off the bat of Pearson, ending the sixth up 11-4, when the game went into a lightning delay with fans and players asked to leave the facility for safety.
After discussion with umpires though, the game continued with just three outs remaining. After a ground out and a fly out for the first two outs, the Mules scored as Peyton Cobb came home when Hawkins reached on an error by Smith at shortstop for the Dragons, and an RBI double by Mazurkewycz drove in Hawkins, before Meyer struck out Jade Hadley to end the game.
For the Dragons, Pearson was 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs with two runs scored. Seckel was also 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Meyer pitched the complete seven innings giving up 10 hits and six runs, two earned, with five strikeouts and three walks for the win.
On the other side for the Mules, Mazurkewycz was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Hawkins was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Hall took the loss in the circle, giving up 11 runs, seven earned, on 10 hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
Both Lathrop, the No. 1 seed in Class 2 District 7, and Mid Buchanan, the No. 2 seed, will have byes in the first round of the district tournament. Weather pending, the Mules will play the winner of No. 4 seed North Platte and No. 5 seed East Buchanan at 10am on Saturday, while the Dragons will play the winner of No. 3 West Platte and No. 6 Plattsburg at noon, also on Saturday in Lathrop.
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