The Hays High Indian softball team is headed back to the state tournament after a walk-off hit gave Hays a 13-12 win over Valley Center on Tuesday in Hays.
The Hays High softball team earned the No. 1 seed and a first round bye in their 5A regional, after finishing 18-2 in the regular season. In game one in Hays, Valley Center, the four seed, had to come from behind to beat five seed Goddard 9-4 to advance to the regional championship game against the Indians.
In the first inning Hays High got on the board first when Shea Briggs walked and stole second the came around to score on an RBI single from Paige Lunsford. The Indians chased starter Perrin Spears after she got one out in the first.
Valley Center answered right back in the top half of the second to tie the game at one. Hays High’s big inning would be the second, scoring five times on five hits to take a 6-1 lead after two. The bottom of the lineup got things starter when Julie Balzer led off the inning with a walk and catcher Haley Wells singled and that allowed Katelyn Schumacher, to double home Balzer and then Briggs and Paige Lundsford follwed with back-to-back RBI singles and Makenzie Flaska added a two run single as Hays High sent 10 hitters to the plate in the inning.
The Indians added one more on a RBI single from Briggs in the third to give the Indians the 7-1 lead. But every time Hays tried to put the game away the Hornets answered. Valley Center sent seven to the plate in the fourth inning on their way to scoring four in the inning. In the inning Hannah Hearld gave way to Katelyn Schumacher after allowing six runs in four and a-third innings of work.
Valley Center tallied a run in the fifth and sixth innings tie the game at 7 and then took a 12-10 lead in the top half of the seventh inning. Hays High led off the home half of the seventh with back-to-back singles from leftfielder Courtney Storer and catcher Haley Wells. Katelyn Schumacher then walked to load the bases with no outs in the inning. Shea Briggs cut the lead to one with a sacrifice fly. Lundsford singled to load the bases once more for Freshman Hannah Hearld. Hearld drove a two-run walk-off single down the rightfield line giving the Indians the 13-12 win.
Hearld finished 3-4 with two RBI, Lundsford 4-5 with three RBI and Briggs finished 3-3 with a walk and three RBI.
The Indians are headed back to Wichita for the second straight year. 5A state softball will be May 25th & 26th at Two Rivers Youth Complex in Wichita.
Post game Highlights
Final Game Highlights
Coach Abby’s Post game Interview:
Coach Maska Postgame Interview