BY JIM MISUNAS
LYONS – Southeast of Saline pitcher Lexi Jacobson was brilliant in a 2-0 shutout over Hoisington/Central Plains in Wednesday’s 3A regional softball championship.
The Cardinals had one legitimate chance when Carly Delzeit and Tricia Schremmer singled in the second inning. But Jacobson ended the Cardinals’ threat by striking out Paige Lamatsch. Claire Crutcher singled on a slap bunt for the Cardinals’ only other hit.
The Cardinals (17-5) return all nine regional starters, including their leading pitcher Boxberger.
“I’m proud of our girls,” Boxberger said. “Jordyn brought her ‘A’ game. Our defense backed her up. We didn’t anything done offensively. Our future is bright because everybody is coming back next year.”
The Trojans converted the Cardinals’ lone mistake into a 2-run third inning. Jayci Burgardt doubled on an 0-2 pitch and moved to third base on a groundout.
Coach Boxberger anticipated a bunt, and Jordyn Boxberger fielded a Madelyn Harris bunt safely. But she threw the softball past catcher Claire Crutcher. Harris advanced on a passed ball and scored on a Brielle Ptacek sacrifice fly.
“It was a great call on their part,” Boxberger said.
Jacobson (10-0) struck out 10 batters and mixed an effective fastball with a floating changeup that kept the Cardinals guessing in an 80-pitch outing. The Trojans (21-3) advance to the 3A state tournament at Manhattan.
“Jacobson is a solid pitcher who kept throwing strikes. We’d start an inning and a couple pitches later, we had two outs,” Boxberger said. “We didn’t get anything going offensively. They didn’t give up any defensive breaks. We couldn’t lay off her changeup.”
Hoisington 000 000 0 – 0 3 2
SE Saline 002 000 x – 3 3 1
Boxberger and Crutcher. Jacobson and Harris. W—Jacobson, 10-0. L—Boxberger, 8-3. 2B—SE—Burgardt.
