SOFTBALL: Cass falls to Whitko 3-2 in sectional final

May 28—WABASH — The Lewis Cass softball team slugged its way to the championship game of the Class 2A Wabash Sectional this week.

But the Kings didn't hit as much as they had been in recent games and they certainly didn't get the timely hits in a 3-2 loss to Whitko.

The Kings did outhit the Wildcats 8-5. But the key stat of the game was the Kings stranded 13 base runners to the Wildcats' three for the game.

"We had too many strikeouts," Cass coach Jon Silcox said. "It just wasn't there. Our offense was pretty nonexistent and pretty much that was the end of it. We just didn't do very well."

The Kings also made two errors that led to an unearned run.

"We made a few errors early in the game we just couldn't overcome those errors early on," Silcox said. "They capitalized and we just couldn't overcome. It was a tight game."

Whitko played some small ball in the first and jumped out to a 2-0 lead on an RBI single by Addie Garr, who came around to score on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt to third.

The Kings got a run back in the top of the second. Izzy Tharp and Leah Willison had back-to-back singles. With two outs, Madison Dormer hit a shot to the shortstop that was dropped for an error to allow Tharp to score.

The Wildcats got the run back in the bottom of the frame on a two-out RBI double to center by Guinny Garr.

The Kings answered with a run in the third. Cana Jones reached on an error. Hannah Plauschin drew a walk. Tharp hit a two-out RBI single to right to cut the lead to 3-2. But that would be all the offense the Kings would muster the rest of the game.

Whitko sophomore Maddie Dafforn allowed two runs (none earned) on eight hits and three walks, striking out nine in a complete-game effort.

Dormer started for the Kings and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk, striking out four in five innings. Bayli Reed pitched a scoreless inning of relief with one strikeout.

Dormer and Reed combined to allow just one hit from the third inning on. But the early deficit cost the Kings.

The Kings put together a rally nearly every inning but they stranded too many runners.

"I really thought we'd do better," Silcox said. "We knew what we were going to face today. We knew the kind of speed. She's a good pitcher but I know we could have hit it. We just fell short."

The Kings finish 11-13 against an unrelenting schedule.

"We've got a tough conference and we know that and we like it," Silcox said. "We like playing tough competition through the season, it makes us stronger come tournament time. We really felt like we matched up good with them this year and I think we proved it. 3-2 game is a tight game. I think we just shot ourselves in the foot early in the game."

It was the final game for Cass seniors Dormer, Reed, Jones, Plauschin, Tharp, Willison and Kaylie Williams.

Reed will go on to play at Kalamazoo College and Dormer will play at St. Olaf College.

"They gave us all they got all year long," Silcox said of the seniors. "They've been rocks and they did a great job today. They stepped up when we needed it. They fought. I feel bad for those girls."