The Wayne 12U Dirt Devils’ appearance at the Class C State Softball Tournament in Hastings this past weekend was short-lived, as the local girls went 0-3 in their games to end the season with a final record of 18-15.
Any glimpse of hope Wayne had of remaining in the state tourney was quickly diminished by the Aurora Edge Red Saturday afternoon. With Wayne trailing by just two runs after three innings, Aurora put up eight runs in the top of the fourth to pull away for good, defeating the Devils, 18-10, in a game that featured lots of hits and lots of runs between the two squads – a combined 28 of each.
Courtney Roeber had three hits to lead the Wayne bats. Justice Olson, Kinnley McGuire, Alex Legler and Anna Dutcher also contributed with two hits apiece.
Jordyn Gamble took the pitching loss, tossing the softball for three and a third innings where she struck out three batters, walked seven and allowed 15 runs on nine hits.
In their second game of the state tournament on Saturday morning, the Dirt Devils outhit the Pierce Pacers, 8-1, but somehow managed to let the game slip away as Pierce got the 5-4 win in a walk-off.
Legler, Roeber and Gamble each had two hits for the Wayne 12s.
Taking the loss on the hill was Reagan McGuire who pitched for four and two-thirds innings where she sat seven Pierce batters and surrendered five runs on one hit.
Things got off to a rocky start for the local girls in their opening game of the tournament last Friday night against the Central City Stampede. Central City put up nine runs in the first two innings and outhit Wayne, 14-2, to cruise to a 13-0 victory over the Devils.
Gamble put up Wayne’s only hits with a pair of singles. K. McGuire surrendered nine runs on nine hits, striking out two Stampede batters over two innings to take the pitching loss.
Wayne’s 12U team had better luck in its preparations leading up to state, taking two games in a doubleheader at Wisner last Tuesday, June 29.
A 10-run third inning really put Wayne over the top of the host squad in a 13-8 victory in game one.
Sidney Nelson, Makenna Mattison, Legler, Gamble and Olson all had hits in the win.
Gamble was the winning pitcher, going three innings where she sat eight batters and allowed two runs on two hits.
The second contest favored the Dirt Devils early, as they put up nine runs in the top of the first inning and kept Wisner at bay the rest of the way to take the “W,” 12-2.
Gamble was Wayne’s top hitter with a double, a single and two RBIs.
R. McGuire got the win from the mound, pitching a complete game with nine K’s, seven walks and two runs allowed on one hit over four innings.
