HUTCHINSON — Hoisington’s Delaney Smith pitched and batted the Cardinals to a hard-fought Central Kansas League softball sweep over Nickerson 8-1 and 7-6 Thursday. Hoisington (4-5) plays rival Larned (6-6) at home Tuesday. Nickerson (0-11) travels to Hesston.
Smith delivered four hits and pitched a three-hitter in the opener. After Nickerson forced extra innings with a late rally, the Cardinals survived with the game-winning run 7-6 in the nightcap.
CARDINALS 8, PANTHERS 1 — Maddie Wilborn drove in four runs to spark a first-game victory.
Nickerson scored the first run when Skylar Eidson’s sacrifice fly scored Leslie Ortiz after a bunt single and two steals.
Aurora Ingram’s RBI single scored Brooke Bachar in the third inning. Tyann Schremmer’s triple off pitcher Sophie Mader scored Emma Hamon and Kat Warnken in the fourth inning for a 3-1 lead.
Wilborn’s two-run single scored Bachar and Smith in the fifth inning. Wilborn followed Smith’s RBI single with a two-run double that scored Smith and Kenzie Wolf for an 8-1 lead.
CARDINALS 7, PANTHERS 6 — Wolf’s double that scored Ingram sparked a three-run first inning. Sydney Boxberger’s bases-loaded walk forced home Bachar and Trinity Dolezel scored on a wild pitch. Nickerson’s Brylee Engelland’s RBI single drove home Kat Hirsh in the first inning.
Wilborn and Ingram delivered RBI singles in the second inning for a 5-1 lead.
Skylar Eidson’s RBI single scored Mader and Ally Gitchell scored on an error for a 5-3 score. Morgan Atkinson’s RBI single drove home Brylee Engelland in the sixth inning for a 5-4 score.
Boxberger’s double scored Ingram in the seventh inning for a 6-4 lead. Kat Hirsh’s two-out single scored Mader and Meghann Henderson with the tying runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
CARDINALS 8, PANTHERS 1
Hoisington 001 220 3 — 8 18 1
Nickerson 100 000 0 — 1 3 2
Smith and Wolf. Mader and Eidson. W—Smith. L—Mader. 2B—H—Maddie Wilborn, Kenzie Wolf. 3B—H—Tyann Schremmer.
CARDINALS 7, PANTHERS 6
Hoisington 320 000 11 — 7 10 2
Nickerson 100 021 20 — 6 10 4
Smith and Wolf. Henderson and Eidson. W—Smith. L—Henderson. 2B—H—Sydney Boxberger, Kenzie Wolf; N—Henderson, Brylee Engelland, Bullock. 3B—N—Bullock.

CKL SOFTBALL
Haven 10-0
Pratt 8-0
Lyons 8-1
Kingman 9-3
SValley 7-5
Larned 6-6
Hoisington 4-5
Hesston 3-5
Hillsboro 1-8
Halstead 0-10
Nickerson 0-11
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Hoisington 8-7, Nickerson 1-6
Larned 8-14, Halstead 5-12
Lyons 10-6, Kingman 4-21
Pratt 11-7, Hillsboro 0-0
Smoky Valley splits with Hesston
TUESDAY’S GAMES
Halstead at Kingman
Haven at Pratt
Hillsboro at Lyons
Larned at Hoisington
Nickerson at Hesston