Kari Tajchman swipes third base standing up in the bottom of the fifth inning on Monday night. Two pitches later, a snap throw by Hesston’s catcher bounced into left field, allowing Tajchman to score Marion’s ninth run in what turned out to be a 9-7 win. The Warriors advanced to face Hillsboro in the second round of regional play on Tuesday. Andrew Ottoson / Free Press. Click image to enlarge
The Marion High School softball team defeated the Hesston Swathers Monday for the third time in seven days by a score of 9-7. But this time the win came in the first round of the Class 3A regional playoffs, at Marion.
Trailing 3-0 after Hesston’s first at-bat, the Warriors tallied two runs in the bottom of the inning. The Swathers still led, 3-2, but the Warriors scored runs in each of the first three innings.
Already having strung together hits by Kristen Waner and Lauren Helmer to tie the game in the second, Marion had runners on first and third with no outs. A double-steal gave the home side a 4-3 lead.
Even as the inning ended, Marion pushed the lead to 7-3. Two runs scored on a two-out double by Jandee Sharp, who was tagged out trying to stretch her hit into a triple.
Hesston scored to make it 7-4 in the top of the third, and the score remained unchanged until the fifth. The Swathers made it 7-5 and threatened to tie the game.
With runners on second and third and two outs, a Hesston batter sent a long drive into center field—but Erica Geis hauled it in.
Tacy Taylor drew a one-out walk in the bottom half, and Kari Tajchman brought her home with a single.
Tajchman advanced to second on a sacrifice and stole third. She scored on a throwing error charged to Hesston’s catcher during the next at bat, and the score was 9-5.
Hesston scored twice with one out in the top of the seventh, but Sonja Steinborn induced a foul ball caught by Waner to end the game.
Hesston—The regular season finale was played at home against Hesston last Tuesday.
The Warriors added a pair of wins to finish the season with a 4-11 record.
One victory came in the form of a 12-2 five-inning rout in the second game. But in the first game, the Warriors trailed by three runs before they had a chance to bat. Even so, they rallied for an 8-5 win.
In the bottom of the first inning, Lana Carroll delivered a two-run triple and then scored to knot the score at 3-3.
Marion allowed two more runs in the top of the second, but got one back in the bottom of the third. Pitcher Sonja Steinborn drew a lead-off walk, and Carroll mashed a double to bring her home.
The Swathers carried a 5-4 lead into the fourth, but the Warriors broke through for four more scores.
Steinborn faced the minimum the rest of the way, and finished with three strikeouts.
She faced nine batters and recorded nine outs to start the first game. Marion led 10-0 before the Swathers put a runner on base.
Hesston scored single runs in the top halves of fourth and fifth innings, but the game ended by rule when Marion scored twice in the bottom of the fifth.
Coming—Marion was scheduled to play played top-seeded Hillsboro at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Southeast of Saline in the semifinals of the tournment.
The winner advanced to play for the regional title at 5 p.m.
