A milestone was reached for the all-time winningest softball coach at Wayne High during Saturday's Mid State Conference Softball Tournament.
From the Wayne Softball Complex, six teams were split three into each pool.
#3 Wayne began Pool B with a 10-0 win over #6 Ponca followed by a 4-3 loss against #2 Boone Central.
In the consolation game, Wayne High scored on a wild pitch during a 5-4 walk-off win over Pierce to finish third place in the Mid State Conference Tournament. The Blue Devils are now 18-10 on the season.
Head coach Rob Sweetland recorded wins 599 and 600 in his career on Saturday. He has coached every season of Blue Devil softball dating back to the first season in 2001 and qualified for the state tournament in 2002 where his team went 1-2. Since then, coach Sweetland has led Wayne High softball to 18 state tournaments, four state titles (2003, 2004, 2018 in Class C and 2019 in Class B) along with a trio of runner-up finishes (2007, 2009 and 2013 in Class C).
Congratulations coach Sweetland on this career milestone.
In the victory over Ponca, Wayne began by scoring four runs in the first inning. WHS followed with three runs in the second, two runs in the third and one more run in the fourth. Final favored Wayne High winning 10-0 and outhitting the Indians, 10-3. Ponca committed two errors compared to one by WSC.
Mackenzie Nissen recorded a solo homerun, singled twice and drove in three total runs; Nyla Bolles singled twice, tripled, drove in two runs and scored twice as Jordyn Gamble singled twice and scored twice.
Kinnley McGuire singled, drove in three runs and scored twice; Sammi Gubbels singled; Lily Gubbels accounted for a RBI as Alivia Kesting and Lilly Johnson both scored.
Nissen (72 pitches) picked up the complete shutout game victory in four innings allowing three hits while striking out seven batters and walking two.
During the loss against Boone Central, the Cardinals held a 1-0 lead after the first inning. Following a scoreless second, Boone Central outscored Wayne, 3-2 in the third. After neither team scored in the fourth, Wayne added one more run in the fifth. Final favored Boone Central winning 4-3 as the Cardinals outhit WHS, 10-7. Wayne committed four errors compared to none by Boone Central.
Bolles singled, doubled and scored twice as Nissen singled twice and drove in two runs.
Rylin Hall, Sidney Nelson and Gamble all singled as Kinnley McGuire scored.
Sammi Gubbels (101 pitches) suffered the loss in six innings allowing four earned runs off 10 hits while striking out eight batters and walking two.
From the third place victory over Pierce, scoring opened in the home half of the second inning for Wayne with a single run. Pierce then took the lead with a three-run third. Following a scoreless fourth, the Blue Devils scored twice in the fifth and used a 2-1 advantage in the sixth. Final favored Wayne High winning 5-4 as the Blue Devils outhit Pierce, 11-8. The Bluejays committed two service errors compared to zero by WSC.
Nelson recorded a solo homerun and singled as both Bolles and Gamble singled twice and scored.
Lilly Johnson singled, drove in a run and sored; Sammi Gubbels singled and drove in a run; Hall singled and scored as Kinnley McGuire and Nissen both singed.
Sammi Gubbels (37) picked up the win in three innings allowing an earned run off three hits while striking out two batters. Nissen (75) started the opening three innings allowing three runs (two earned) off five hits while striking out four batters and walking two.
