Crusaders Score Early, Wayne Ends Season Short Of State For Just Second Time In Program History

Crusaders Score Early, Wayne Ends Season Short Of State For Just Second Time In Program History
File photo. Courtesy of Wayne Softball.

GRAND ISLAND – With their backs against the wall and dropping game one of the B-6 District Softball game by walk-off, the eleventh-seeded Wayne High Blue Devils went back to work Friday later in the afternoon.

Back at Veteran’s Sports Complex in Grand Island, game two showcased #11 Wayne High as the home team against #6 Grand Island Central Catholic with GICC leading the series, 1-0.

From game two, the Crusaders scored two runs early in the opening inning as Wayne High drove in a run to trail 2-1 after the first. Grand Island Central Catholic loaded the bases up in the second and scored six runs to lead 8-1. The Blue Devils tacked on a run in the home half of the third but GICC poured in another seven runs during the fifth.

Final favored GICC 15-2 in five innings after coming back from a 6-2 deficit in the bottom of the seventh during game one as the Crusaders scored five runs to win 7-6. Grand Island Central Catholic qualifies for state with their 23-9 record while the Blue Devils end their season at 20-9, dropping six of nine games played in October.

This is just the second time in program history that Wayne High didn’t qualify for state. WHS won the Class B title last year and the Class C title in 2019 as they had their 13-year streak of qualifying for state snapped. The only other time the Blue Devils didn’t make it to state was in 2006 when the team finished 18-12 falling in the district round to Tekamah-Herman.

Kierah Haase doubled and scored twice while Kendall Dorey doubled and drove in a run for Wayne. Brooklyn Kruse singled and drove in a run as Taytum Sweetland and Delaney Kruse also singled.

Dorey suffered the loss in five innings allowing 15 runs (six earned) off of nine hits while striking out one batter and walking five.

Wayne High will return all but one player to next year’s roster as Nicole Fertig was the lone senior.

Game Two:

1 2 3 4 5 R H E

2 6 0 0 7 15 9 0 – GICC

1 0 1 0 0   2 5 5 – Wayne

All three classes will compete in the NSAA State Softball Tournament from the Smith Softball Complex in Hastings between Wednesday, October 14 – Friday, October 16.

 

Class B District Finals: (winner’s advanced to state)

B1: #1 Omaha Skutt Catholic defeated #16 Omaha Gross Catholic, 6-0 and 13-6

B2: #2 Hastings defeats #15 Adams Central, 12-0 and 10-3

B3: #3 Norris defeats #14 Beatrice, 9-4 and 13-2

B4: #4 Grand Island Northwest defeated #13 Bennington, 3-0 and 4-3

B5: #12 Elkhorn defeated #5 Blair, 7-2 and 10-2

B6: #6 GICC defeated #11 Wayne, 7-6 and 15-2

B7: #7 Seward defeats #10 Scottsbluff, 8-7 and 10-4

B8: #8 Crete defeated #9 Wahoo by winning game one 14-9, Wahoo won game two 5-4 and Crete won game three 8-4.

 

Class C District Finals: 

C1: #1 GACC defeated #16 O’Neill, 10-0 and 16-2

C2: #2 Fairbury defeated Filmore Central/Exeter-Milligan/Friend, 9-1 and 13-9

C3: #3 Bishop Neumann defeated #14 Highway 91, 12-0 and 14-2

C4: #4 Auburn vs. #13 Ponca at noon from the Auburn City Rec Complex on Saturday

C5: #5 Kearney Catholic defeated #12 Southern Valley/Alma, 9-4 and 11-9

C6: Hastings St. Cecilia defeated #11 Freeman, 13-3 and 14-5

C7: #7 Malcolm defeated #10 Arlington, 12-0 and 16-5

C8: #8 Central City defeated #9 Tekamah-Herman, 9-0 and 9-1

 

Class A District Champions: (two wildcards)

A1: #1 Papillion-LaVista defeated #2 Gretna, 8-0

A2: #1 Lincoln Southwest defeated #3 Millard North, 15-5

A3: #1 Omaha Marian defeated #2 Papillion-LaVista South, 9-0 after falling in game six, 9-6

A4: #1 North Platte defeated #2 Bellevue East, 13-5

A5: #1 Lincoln East defeated #3 Millard South, 14-13

A6: #1 Lincoln Southwest defeated #2 Lincoln North Star, 11-4

 

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