Panther Natalie Nelson slides safely into third base with a one-out triple to the gap in left-center field. Nelson sparked Paola to a two-run rally, but the Panthers came up short in a 5-3 loss to the Cyclones in Ottawa. Paola lost the second game 4-0. (Photo by Gene Morris)
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Paola girls fall to Ottawa in possible regional finals preview
Rally too late in game one and home decides game two
By Gene Morris, gmorris@miconews.com
OTTAWA — Playing against Ottawa in a possible preview of what the Paola softball team might face in the Class 4A regional at home next week, the Panthers were swept by the Cyclones on Tuesday.
It was the first time in more than two years that Paola, 17-3, lost both games of a doubleheader.
Although it was not the evening of softball Paola would have liked for its regular season finale, especially with Ottawa in its regional, the Panthers proved they could play with the Cyclones.
Trailing 5-0 in the first game, the Paola girls battled to get back in it with two runs in the sixth and one run in the seventh with the potential game-tying run at the plate. The Panthers lost the game 5-3.
Game two, a 4-0 shutout, came down to one pitch. With the bases loaded and one out in the fifth inning, Ottawa hit a grand slam to score all of its runs with a single swing of the bat.
“Down five runs in the first game, I liked the way we fought back and scored three runs,” Paola coach Troy Collier said. “We put them on the ropes a little bit. We can’t wait until the fifth inning to do that.
“We played pretty good defensively,” Collier said. “I thought we matched them defense for defense.”
Paola entered the game with a batting average of .411 but could not get the bats rolling against Ottawa’s hard-throwing Hailie Ray.
“It doesn’t matter if we are hitting .411 when we bat .150,” Collier said.
Ray was the best pitcher the Panthers have faced all season, and they were starting to get to her at the end of the first game, Collier said.
Ottawa took advantage of two Paola errors to score two runs in third inning of the opener.
The Cyclones had a pair of singles and doubled twice to add three insurance runs in the fifth inning and needed all three of them.
Natalie Nelson tripled to open the sixth inning for Paola and scored. Mackenzie Hallstrom singled, stole a base and scored.
Harris followed with a single. Allison Wood was hit by a pitch, and Kylee Mader walked to load the bases.
Paola stranded all three runners, making it a 5-2 game heading into the seventh inning.
Rachel Hanf singled in the seventh and scored on a base hit by Hallstrom.
Ottawa got out of the jam with a ground ball, sealing the 5-3 victory.
Paola was held to four hits in the second game and could not put them together in the 4-0 loss.
Nelson tripled in the first inning and was thrown out at home plate on a ground ball to third base. Ottawa got the batter out and then threw home to get Nelson for the double play.
Wood singled to open the second inning and was left on base.
Harris singled with one out in the fourth and singled to open the seventh inning.
Paola put its leadoff batter on base in three of the seven innings and failed to score.
The Panthers play the Louisburg Wildcats in the first round of the Class 4A softball regional at 6:30 p.m. Monday in Paola.
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It was the first time in more than two years that Paola, 17-3, lost both games of a doubleheader.
Although it was not the evening of softball Paola would have liked for its regular season finale, especially with Ottawa in its regional, the Panthers proved they could play with the Cyclones.
Trailing 5-0 in the first game, the Paola girls battled to get back in it with two runs in the sixth and one run in the seventh with the potential game-tying run at the plate. The Panthers lost the game 5-3.
Game two, a 4-0 shutout, came down to one pitch. With the bases loaded and one out in the fifth inning, Ottawa hit a grand slam to score all of its runs with a single swing of the bat.
“Down five runs in the first game, I liked the way we fought back and scored three runs,” Paola coach Troy Collier said. “We put them on the ropes a little bit. We can’t wait until the fifth inning to do that.
“We played pretty good defensively,” Collier said. “I thought we matched them defense for defense.”
Paola entered the game with a batting average of .411 but could not get the bats rolling against Ottawa’s hard-throwing Hailie Ray.
“It doesn’t matter if we are hitting .411 when we bat .150,” Collier said.
Ray was the best pitcher the Panthers have faced all season, and they were starting to get to her at the end of the first game, Collier said.
Ottawa took advantage of two Paola errors to score two runs in third inning of the opener.
The Cyclones had a pair of singles and doubled twice to add three insurance runs in the fifth inning and needed all three of them.
Natalie Nelson tripled to open the sixth inning for Paola and scored. Mackenzie Hallstrom singled, stole a base and scored.
Harris followed with a single. Allison Wood was hit by a pitch, and Kylee Mader walked to load the bases.
Paola stranded all three runners, making it a 5-2 game heading into the seventh inning.
Rachel Hanf singled in the seventh and scored on a base hit by Hallstrom.
Ottawa got out of the jam with a ground ball, sealing the 5-3 victory.
Paola was held to four hits in the second game and could not put them together in the 4-0 loss.
Nelson tripled in the first inning and was thrown out at home plate on a ground ball to third base. Ottawa got the batter out and then threw home to get Nelson for the double play.
Wood singled to open the second inning and was left on base.
Harris singled with one out in the fourth and singled to open the seventh inning.
Paola put its leadoff batter on base in three of the seven innings and failed to score.
The Panthers play the Louisburg Wildcats in the first round of the Class 4A softball regional at 6:30 p.m. Monday in Paola.