Ell-Saline softball falls twice, but finishes fourth at Class 2-1A state with 24-2 record

PRATT — After the hugs and tears, Raleigh Kramer didn't have to think twice in summing up Ell-Saline's softball season.

Yes, two losses Friday in the Class 2-1A state tournament hurt, just as the 24 straight victories before that. But in the end, that was just part of the journey.

"Just how much fun we had together," Kramer said after the Cardinals' season came to an end with an 11-1, five inning loss to Central Heights at the Green Sports Complex. "It was cool winning all those games, but playing with these girls was more fun to me."

The top-seeded Cardinals came into Friday's semifinal game against No. 5 Mission Valley riding high after opening the tournament with a 5-2 victory over Pittsburg Colgan on Thursday and running their record to 24-0.

But a series of early mistakes and a dominating pitching performance by Mission Valley's Morgan Tomlinson were too much to overcome as the Vikings prevailed, 5-1. It was also Mission Valley that knocked Ell-Saline out of the tournament last year in the first round.

Things went from bad to worse in the third-place game, where a pair of costly errors helped set Central Heights up for a six-run second inning. The Vikings then went for the jugular, adding three runs in the third and two more in the fourth against Ell-Saline pitchers Valerie VanZant and Kramer.

More:How Brin Hecker's bases-clearing double lifted Ell-Saline softball over St. Mary's Colgan

While Central Heights' offense exploded for 11 base hits, Vikings pitcher Mieka Crump kept Ell-Saline off balance with a two-hitter. Ell-Saline's lone run, which brought Sadie Bradley home from first base on a VanZant sacrifice bunt, was aided by two Central Heights throwing errors on the play.

"We just had a few errors and then we just couldn't pick ourselves back up," said Bradley, who along with Kramer, Raynee Hardesty and Marcina McNabb made up the Cardinals' four-member senior class. "(Central Heights) hit the ball really well and they exploited our holes in the outfield, and we struggled (offensively)."

Still, the seniors chose to dwell on the positives, namely that they went through the regular season undefeated and advanced to the second day of the state tournament after they were eliminated in the first round last year.

"Last year we didn't make it past the Thursday game, so our goal this year was to make it to the second round, and we accomplished that," Bradley said. "It was exciting having a record of 24-2.

More:Ell-Saline High's Raynee and Taelor Hardesty to make one more memory together — at state softball

"That is a heck of a record."

Ell-Saline coach Kris Bell had no complaints, either.

"We had a much better season this year," she said. "The girls came out early and set goals and they kept meeting them.

"Our leadership was stronger, too, especially when we had Raleigh on the mound."

But ultimately the errors — four in the semifinal and two more in the third-place game — took their toll.

"Yesterday, when (Colgan) tied the game, we didn't lose our composure, but today composure was lost a little bit," Bell said. "Errors killed us, especially in the first game.

"We made errors that we don't typically commit, and I think Raleigh got a little tired."

The Cardinals managed five hits, but struck out eight times against Tomlinson in the semifinal game.

"We kept fighting, but our errors got to us," Kramer said. "And (Central Heights) hit the ball really well.

"By the time we got our offense started, it was too late. But I'm definitely proud of our team and how far we've come."

With two trips to state, the senior class helped build a foundation for a team that featured numerous underclassmen.

"We relied a lot on our underclassmen, and they have some slots to fill, but I believe in them," Bradley said of the future.

Mission Valley, which placed third last year, went on to beat Troy, 6-4, in the championship game.