All-Nebraska

First Team
P - Ashley Hagemann, Elkhorn Sr. 25-1
P - Kylie Hovinga, Papillion-La Vista Sr. 26-4
P - Alexa Mackevicius, Papillion-LV South Sr. 25-2
C - Lauren Larson, Millard North Sr. .386
IF - Nicole Haget, Elkhorn Sr. .550
IF - Mariah Montgomery, Ralston Jr. .416
IF - Jamie Gay, Beatrice Sr. .495
IF - Molly Feichtinger, Om. Marian Sr. .451
OF - Devon Reick, Ralston Jr. .469
OF - Molly Negrete, Millard South Jr. .409
OF - Lindsay Redding, Papillion-La Vista Jr. .339
DP - Megan Southworth, Papillion-La Vista Jr. .464
DP - Madison Drake, Lincoln Southwest Sr. .417
• Honorary Captain - Ashley Hagemann, Elkhorn

Second Team
P - Mallory Johnsen, Beatrice Sr. 22-7
P - Ashley Dunn, Lincoln Southwest Jr. 13-5
P - Kelsie Novotny, Millard North Jr. 16-11
C - Liz Hullinger, Elkhorn Sr. .536
IF - Krista Steen, Papillion-LV South Sr. .381
IF - Shelly Martin, Om. Westside Sr. .441
IF - Amanda Neumann, Papillion-La Vista Jr. .368
IF - Alyssa Kirsch, Papillion-LV South Sr. .366
OF - Dani Bryant, Lincoln Southwest Sr. .434
OF - Emily Perry, Papillion-LV South Jr. .348
OF - Rachel Plessing, Blair Sr. .463
DP - Amy Monson, Papillion-La Vista Sr. .373
DP - Amy Baker, Om. Westside Jr. .433

Class A

First Team
P - Kylie Hovinga, Papillion-La Vista Sr. 26-4
P - Alexa Mackevicius, Papillion-LV South Sr. 25-2
P - Ashley Dunn, Lincoln Southwest Jr. 13-5
C - Lauren Larson, Millard North Sr. .386
IF - Molly Feichtinger, Om. Marian Sr. .451
IF - Madison Drake, Lincoln Southwest Sr. .417
IF - Krista Steen, Papillion-LV South Sr. .381
IF - Shelly Martin, Om. Westside Sr. .441
OF - Molly Negrete, Millard South Jr. .409
OF - Lindsay Redding, Papillion-La Vista Jr. .339
OF - Dani Bryant, Lincoln Southwest Sr. .434
DP - Megan Southworth, Papillion-La Vista Jr. .464
DP - Emily Perry, Papillion-LV South Jr. .348
• Honorary Captain - Kylie Hovinga, Papillion-La Vista

Second Team
P - Kelsie Novotny, Millard North Jr. 16-11
P - Shelby Mendlik, Om. Marian So. 12-4
C - Amy Baker, Om. Westside Jr. .433
IF - Amanda Neumann, Papillion-La Vista Jr. .368
IF - Alyssa Kirsch, Papillion-LV South Sr. .366
IF - Amy Monson, Papillion-La Vista Sr. .373
IF - Jennifer Bohle, Om. Westside Sr. .349
OF - Kassie Nurton, Om. Marian Jr. .402
OF - Jennifer Brown, Millard North Jr. .356
OF - Jami Thramer, Millard South Sr. .367
DP - Amanda Forgey, Lincoln East Sr. .476
DP - Becky Seidel, Columbus Sr. .420
DP - Kayla Kowalski, Millard South Sr. .355

• Class A honorable mention: Bellevue East: Makenzie Michael. Bellevue West: Erica McCoy, Morgan Brazeal. Columbus: Ashley Szelag, Mollie Jones, Jaisa Gutierrez. Fremont: Vicki Nielsen, Annie Hoesing, Jessica Spalding. Grand Island: Mackenzie Tomlin, Gabby Ayala. Kearney: Emily Girard. Lincoln East: Jamie Zillig, Katelyn Peterson, Katlyn Raatz. Lincoln High: Katie Martin. Lincoln North Star: Lindsey Cale, Page Policky, Jamie Peterson. Lincoln Southeast: Sarah Hoehne, Matley Jones, Courtney Gau, KK Houser. Lincoln Southwest: Jackie Nordell, Becca Changstrom, Ashley Janssen. Millard North: Danielle Christianson. Millard South: Jordan King, Kathy Curtis, Alyssa Kilgore. Millard West: Christine Borowiak. North Platte: Jennifer Kramer, Kelsey Coffman. Omaha Benson: Jessica Gabrie. Omaha Burke: Sarah Gamache, Emily Heairet, KayCee Miller. Omaha Marian: Danii Sandel. Omaha North: Kylee Polsley, Grace Rich. Omaha Westside: Christa Ruf, Claire Friesen, Sarah Scigo. Papillion-La Vista: Kaylee Richards, Marlee Petersen. Papillion-La Vista South: Chelse Koca, Becky Dunn.

Class B

First Team
P - Ashley Hagemann, Elkhorn Sr. 25-1
P - Mallory Johnsen, Beatrice Sr. 22-7
P - Gina Mackevicius, Om. Skutt Sr. 20-12
C - Liz Hullinger, Elkhorn Sr. .536
IF - Nicole Haget, Elkhorn Sr. .550
IF - Mariah Montgomery, Ralston Jr. .416
IF - Jamie Gay, Beatrice Sr. .495
IF - Jessica Einspahr, McCook Sr. .360
OF - Devon Reick, Ralston Jr. .469
OF - Rachel Plessing, Blair Sr. .463
OF - Leslie Neiman, Elkhorn Sr. .390
DP - Cassie Baete-Jobman, Beatrice Sr. .418
DP - Amy Dreessen, Elkhorn Jr. .536
• Honorary Captain - Ashley Hagemann, Elkhorn

Second Team
P - Kirstie Hiatt, McCook Sr. 14-4
P - Mackenzie Welchert, Blair So. 20-7
P - Nicole Sempek, Columbus Lakeview Sr. 16-4
C - Devin Choate, Beatrice Sr. .402
IF - Tina Winter, Ralston Jr. .350
IF - Amanda Teshack, Ralston Sr. .393
IF - Amanda Einspahr, McCook Fr. .385
IF - Sarah Rome, Blair So. .486
OF - Emily Dittmer, Crete Sr. .449
OF - Ellen Homan, Om. Skutt So. .326
OF - Melanie Patrick, Hastings Sr. .383
DP - Austin Wilson, McCook Sr. .400
DP - Brooke Cronican, Ralston Sr. .359

• Class B honorable mention: Blair: Katie Pawol, Maggie Warrick, Taylor Fernau. Chadron: Nikki Ritzen, Trina Kuhnel, Brooke Grant. Columbus Lakeview: Dani Went, Jenna Alswager, Brooke Groteluschen. Conestoga/Weeping Water: Arie Thorne, Rebekka Hammer. Cozad: Brittany Hunke. Crete: Becca Havlat, Terra Smith, Amanda Tretheway. David City: Brittany Karber. Elkhorn: Brittany Hoock, Megan Borcher. Falls City: Kayla Fritz. Fairbury: Kenzie Helmink. Grand Island NW: Mikaela Klein, Tristian Birch, Kelly Olsufka. Gering: Chelsey Richter. Gretna: Tami LeMaster. Hastings: Kyndell Princ, Angelica Bishop. Hastings Adams Central: Katie Bonifas. Holdrege: Aubri Townsend. Lexington: Allison Seberger. Lincoln Pius X: Jamie Reed, Steph Webb, Lauren Bodfield. McCook: Marissa Wallace, Danae McCorkle. Nebraska City: Krisa Tyson. Omaha Duchesne: Taylor Bridges. Omaha Gross: Rachel Dukich. Omaha Mercy: Katie Malloy. Omaha Skutt: Emily Banghart. Plattsmouth: Kasey Maddux. Ralston: Megan Wagman. Scottsbluff: Hailee Wilson, DeNae Quijas. Seward: Brittany Telecky, Heather Post. Waverly: Amanda Beeson, Taylor Flodman.

Class C

First Team
P - Traci Aschoff, Milford Sr. 22-4
P - Bethany Davison, O'Neill Sr. 22-6
P - Shannon Jarvi, Wayne So. 20-3
C - Sarah Weber, Milford Jr. .373
IF - Leigh Gramke, Tekamah-Herman Sr. .429
IF - Kim Sladek, Fill. Cent./E-M Sr. .489
IF - Taylor Cameron, Syracuse Sr. .376
IF - Kiley Ruff, Bennington Sr. .359
OF - Cherilynn Lund, Tekamah-Herman Sr. .424
OF - Morgan Kleinschmidt, Fill. Cent./E-M Sr. .330
OF - Brooke Sass, Bennington Fr. .367
DP - Nicole Rauner, Wayne Jr. .436
DP - Danielle Mowinkel, Logan View Sr. .368
• Honorary Captain - Traci Aschoff, Milford

Second Team
P - Lyndsay Drumm, Bennington Sr. 14-3
P - Cara Cameron, Tekamah-Herman Jr. 16-7
P - Alyssa Kreikemeier, West Point CC Sr. 17-8
C - Allie Frost, Douglas County West Sr. .422    (ALLIE was First Team in Lincoln Paper)
IF - Jaci Mowinkel, West Point CC Sr. .341
IF - Kate Erickson, Central City Jr. .517
IF - Natalie Jeppeson, Milford Sr. .350
IF - Haley Strobel, High Plains Jr. .459
OF - Brittany Asche, Wahoo Sr. .406
OF - Justine Dethlefs, St. Paul Sr. .576
DP - Samantha Stonys, Bennington Jr. .374
DP - Kasey Romohr, Centennial Jr. .327
DP - Elli Spaulding, Syracuse Sr. .412

• Class C honorable mention: Arlington: Sydney Hein, Becca Goodwin. Ashland-Greenwood: Lexie Martin, Sarah Kwiatkowski. Auburn: Mackenzie Gerdes, Courtney DeBuhr. Battle Creek/Elkhorn Valley: Beth Schmidt, Katie Geary. Centennial: Kerra Grantski. Central City: Amy Mesner. Tabitha Russell. Chase County: Tabitha Russell, Ali Titus. Cross County: Melanie Baker, Megan Brooke. Douglas County West: Taylor Dunker. Fillmore Central/Exeter-Milligan: Maddy Emshoff. Friend: Krista Menke. Gothenburg: Brooke Ballmer, Breanne Messersmith, Vanessa Linegar. High Plains Community: Ashley Fleming. Logan View: Kristin Ristau. Milford: Allison Brandt. North Bend Central/Scribner-Snyder: Lindsey Hull, Megan Jensen. St. Paul: Sarah Rasmussen. Southern: Danae Disney. Syracuse: Kelly Neels. Tekamah-Herman: Chelsea Maslowsky, Lisa Maslowsky, Erin Krause. Thayer Central: Melissa Bulin, Becky Wiedel. Twin River: Tanya Snyder, Kayla Mohr. Wahoo: Kelsey Loos, Kali Pfeiffer. Wahoo Neumann: Riley Jelinek. Wayne: Alesha FinkeyRiley Hofart, Amanda Pieper. West Point Central Catholic: Chelsea Franzluebbers. Wilber-Clatonia: Lacey Hyde. Yutan-Mead: Kaylea Kult, Amanda Hart, Shelbi Fisher.

All-Metro Conference

P - Kylie Hovinga, Papillion-La Vista Sr. 26-4
P - Alexa Mackevicius, Papillion-LV South Sr. 25-2
P - Kelsie Novotny, Millard North Jr. 16-11
C - Lauren Larson, Millard North Sr. .386
IF - Molly Feichtinger, Om. Marian Sr. .451
IF - Krista Steen, Papillion-LV South Sr. .381
IF - Shelly Martin, Om. Westside Sr. .441
IF - Amanda Neumann, Papillion-La Vista Jr. .368
OF - Molly Negrete, Millard South Jr. .409
OF - Lindsay Redding, Papillion-La Vista Jr. .339
OF - Emily Perry, Papillion-LV South Jr. .348
DP - Megan Southworth, Papillion-La Vista Jr. .464
DP - Amy Baker, Om. Westside Jr. .433
• Honorary Captain - Kylie Hovinga, Papillion-La Vista

All-Omaha Area

P - Ashley Hagemann, Elkhorn Sr. 25-1
P - Gina Mackevicius, Om. Skutt Sr. 20-12
P - Mackenzie Welchert, Blair So. 20-7
C - Liz Hullinger, Elkhorn Sr. .536
IF - Nicole Haget, Elkhorn Sr. .550
IF - Mariah Montgomery, Ralston Jr. .416
IF - Amy Dreessen, Elkhorn Jr. .536
IF - Tina Winter, Ralston Jr. .350
OF - Devon Reick, Ralston Jr. .469
OF - Rachel Plessing, Blair Sr. .463
OF - Leslie Neiman, Elkhorn Sr. .390
DP - Amanda Teshack, Ralston Sr. .393
DP - Sarah Rome, Blair So. .486
• Honorary captain - Ashley Hagemann, Elkhorn
 

Beatrice third baseman Jamie Gay hit a first inning home run to left-center field off Elkhorn pitcher and Nebraska recruit Ashley Hagemann that gave the Lady Orange a 1-0 lead at the Smith Softball Complex.

Antlers coach Terry Graver said his top-ranked team had trailed "maybe two or three times all year" prior to the title game. For the coach in the third base box it was a little scary, but for his three-year ace on the mound, it was a challenge.

"We weren't scared," Hagemann said. "We just had to go out and work a little harder."

Hagemann did her part with a home run to left field in the bottom of the fourth that tied the game 1-1. The Lady Orange regained that lead in the top of the fifth when center fielder Jina Hamm led off with a single and scored on a sacrifice by Kylie Bartholomew.

This time the Antlers didn't wait as long. They scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth on RBI singles by catcher Liz Hullinger and first baseman Amy Dreessen.

Hagemann then got the final four of her 12 strikeouts in the last two innings to successfully end a season that produced Class B records for best record (30-1), most consecutive state championships (four) and strikeouts in a career by Hagemann (1,087).

"All of that will mean something someday," Graver said. "We're just pleased we were able to win because Ralston has that tradition, Blair is a good young team and Beatrice is always Beatrice."

The Antlers earned their spot in the title game with a 2-0 victory over Beatrice Friday morning. The Lady Orange needed eight innings to defeat Ralston 5-2 for the other championship berth.

Hamm hit a solo home run with two outs in the top of the seventh against the Rams to force the extra inning. Ralston advanced to that game after polishing off Blair 8-0 in 5 innings.

The third-ranked Rams scored five runs in the first inning and opened the game with back-to-back doubles by Devon Reick and Amanda Teshack before shortstop Mariah Montgomery drove them in with a three-run home run.

Beatrice coach Dennis Dodge also knew every game in the balanced Class B tournament would be a challenge. Though his team came up one run short of forcing a second game, he was pleased with the way his 29-7 team progressed through both the season and tournament.

"We wanted to leave it all on the field," Dodge said. "Jamie set the tone with the home run right off the bat. The girls got a second wind after that win over Ralston and mentally they were prepared, but physically they had tired feet."


Beatrice (29-7).........................100 010 0—2 3 0
Elkhorn (30-1).........................000 120 x—3 7 0
• At Smith Softball Complex
• W: Ashley Hagemann (25-1). L: Mallory Johnsen (22-7). 2B: E, Steph Reynolds. HR: B, Jamie Gay; E: Ashley Hagemann

HASTINGS, Neb. — Memories of an unusually early exit from last year's Class B state softball tournament helped Beatrice remain undefeated Thursday through the first two rounds of the 2007 tourney.

After brushing aside host Hastings with a 10-0, four-inning victory in the first round at the Smith Softball Complex, the Lady Orange beat Blair 1-0 behind Mallory Johnsen's three-hit, seven-strikeout performance and Morgan Eskra's fourth-inning single that drove home Jamie Gay.

Blair had knocked off Beatrice 10-1 in the second round to eliminate the Lady Orange after the first day of last year's state tournament. Not since 1999 had the Lady Orange been sent home from state that early.

"Blair's a solid team, but the girls were really fired up to play them," said Beatrice coach Dennis Dodge, whose team improved to 28-5. "They knocked us out last year, and (our players) wanted to get revenge."

The win set the No. 2-ranked Lady Orange up for a noon winners bracket game today against three-time defending champion and top-ranked Elkhorn. The Antlers improved to 28-1 with a 10-1, six-inning win over unranked Gretna before a 3-1 victory over No. 3 Ralston.

Ralston and Blair kept their championship hopes alive by winning elimination games Thursday evening and will play today at noon. The Rams defeated McCook 6-0 and Blair edged Seward 3-2.

Today's Elkhorn-Beatrice battle is a rematch of a Sept. 8 game in which Elkhorn rallied for a 2-1 win in the Columbus Invitational.

"We led most of the game, but Elkhorn came back at the end," Dodge said. "The girls are confident they can play with them."

Not many teams have been able to hang with the Antlers this season. Nebraska recruits Nikki Haget and Ashley Hagemann led the way in both games Thursday. Haget had three hits and scored three runs in the win over Gretna, while Hagemann had nine strikeouts.

Hagemann then kept Ralston's potent lineup in check with 15 strikeouts to raise her career total to a Class B record 1,061, and Brittany Hoock provided the offense with a two-run home run in the second inning.

"Ralston did a great job coming back against Seward, and then we played a typical Ralston-Elkhorn game," Antlers coach Terry Graver said. "Every out, every pitch, every base runner means something when we play them."

Ralston was down to its final out against Seward before two Rams reached on walks. Junior center fielder Devon Reick and senior second baseman Amanda Teshack followed with RBI singles that gave the Rams a 7-6 victory.

"I told the girls a sign of a good team is one that can fight to win even with two outs," Ralston coach Mike Smith said. "We didn't play great, but they fought and it worked out."

In other games:

• Beatrice 10, Hastings 0, 4 innings: Cassie Baete-Johnson and Devin Choate both homered for Beatrice.

• Blair 3, McCook 1: Rachel Plessing was 2 for 3 for the Bears and Marissa Wallace hit a seventh-inning home run for McCook to prevent the shutout.

• Seward 3, Gretna 0: Brittany Telecky threw a one-hitter with nine strikeouts as the Bluejays eliminated the Dragons.

• McCook 7, Hastings 1: Kirstie Hiatt had 15 strikeouts for the Bison and the Tigers committed six errors after four miscues in their loss to Beatrice.

• Ralston 6, McCook 0: Winning pitcher Brooke Cronican and Devon Reick both had doubles, and Cronican scattered three hits for the 25-7 Rams.

• Blair 3, Seward 2: The Bears scored all of their runs in the top of the sixth before Seward's Hailey Behlen broke up Mackenzie Welchert's no-hitter with a two-run home run.
 

CLASS A

• Papillion-La Vista South: 4th state appearance
• Coach: Dan Hogan
• Record, W-H rating: 34-1, 1st
• Leading hitters: Krista Steen, .413; Alyssa Kirsch, .360; Emily Perry, .356; Alexa Mackevicius, .347; Chelse Koca, .317
• Leading pitchers: Alexa Mackevicius, 23-0, 0.45 ERA; Rebecca Dunn, 11-1, 0.78 ERA


CLASS B

• Elkhorn: 10th state appearance (champion 2004, 2005, 2006; runner-up 2000, 2001)
• Coach: Terry Graver
• Record, W-H rating: 26-1, 1st
• Leading hitters: Ashley Hagemann, .534, Nikki Haget, .534, Amy Dreessen, .494, Liz Hullinger, .386, Erin Hullinger, .341
• Leading pitcher: Ashley Hagemann, 21-1, 0.31 ERA

• Ralston: 13th appearance (champion 1997, 1998, 1999); runner-up 1995 (Class A, 2003, 2006)
• Coach: Mike Smith
• Record, W-H rating: 23-6, 3rd
• Leading hitters: Devon Reick, .484; Mariah Montgomery, .425; Christina Winter, .402; Brooke Cronican, .394; Amanda Teshack, .371
• Leading pitchers: Brooke Cronican, 15-6, 1.82 ERA; Megan Wagman, 8-0, 1.66 ERA
 

HASTINGS, Neb. — The Elkhorn Antlers are proving to be elusive targets again.

The Antlers will enter the Class B state softball tournament Thursday chasing an unprecedented fourth straight crown. Only the Ralston teams from 1997 through 1999 can match Elkhorn's run of success.

The 26-1 Antlers, who will play Eastern Midlands Conference rival Gretna in a 10 a.m. first-round game at the Smith Softball Complex, also have their sights set on becoming the first Class B team to finish a season with one loss.

It was Ralston, a potential second-round opponent Thursday, that tripped Elkhorn in the 2006 championship round to force a second game that the Antlers won 8-3 for the third state title. Those last two games left Elkhorn with a 30-2 record, the best mark for a Class B school.

The Elkhorn T-shirts this year say "Fear the Deer."

Antlers coach Terry Graver said his players understand that while opponents may respect what Elkhorn has accomplished, the Antlers' foes want to spoil their run at history.

"These kids have been through it the last three years, so they're used to it," Graver said. "Since we won that first one, we've been rated No. 1 in the entire state off and on, so I guess that gives people something more to shoot at."

Instead of that being viewed as a barrier to success, Graver said, it has brought out the best in a group of players led by junior Amy Dreessen and seniors Ashley Hagemann, Nikki Haget, Liz Hullinger and Leslie Neiman.

"That's the way it is at Elkhorn right now," Graver said. "People are always trying to get you, and you just have to play that much harder. They know this is going to be a tough tournament, but they've been focused all year on their high school season because so many of them realize it's their last."

The Triple H set of seniors — Hagemann, Haget and Hullinger — have been the core of Elkhorn's success since 2005 with a record of 87-7 (.926 winning percentage). Add in the 2004 title won when they were freshmen, and the Antlers are 119-11 (.915) during that time.

Hagemann is the Nebraska recruit who was the honorary captain of The World-Herald's All-Nebraska team last season. After battling through a leg injury midway through the season, Hagemann has posted a 21-1 record with a 0.31 ERA while nearing the career milestone of 1,000 strikeouts.

Graver said Hagemann has never performed better than she did in last month's Eastern Midlands Conference title victory over Blair, when she threw a perfect game with 18 strikeouts in a 5-0 victory.

"They put three balls in play against her and fouled off four five others," Graver said. "That was it. That's the best she's ever pitched."

Hagemann also set a Class B state record with 20 strikeouts in a 6-0 victory over Fremont. That victory over Blair in the EMC finals — and another 5-0 win over the Bears on Oct. 5 in the District B-3 championship game — avenged Elkhorn's 6-4 loss the Blair on Sept. 4 that ended the Antlers' bid for a perfect season.

Hagemann and Haget, who also will be playing for the Huskers next season, are hitting .534. Haget, a speedy second baseman, has scored a team-leading 39 runs to go with her team-high 47 hits.

Dreessen, Hullinger and Neiman are hitting .386 or better entering what could be the final four games. But Graver said his team isn't ready to look at the potentially historic numbers.

"I have not mentioned any of that stuff to the girls one time this season," Graver said. "They know it's out there, but they haven't talked about it.

"That's something later on you can think about and enjoy, but when the season's going on you're so tied up in the next opponent, trying to get better and just keep playing."
 

Winning all of those one- and two-run games this season hasn't been just an incredible run of good fortune for the Papillion-La Vista South softball team.

Strong pitching and defense, a year-round commitment to strength training and consistent clutch hitting have put No. 1-ranked Papillion-La Vista South (34-1) in position to win a state title in the program's fifth season.

Papillion-La Vista South will open the Class A state tournament at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Hastings against Grand Island (14-24) as the Titans aim for a berth in Friday's 5 p.m. final.

Senior third baseman Krista Steen said an empty feeling after the past two state tournaments is driving the Titans to be a team everyone remembers.

"We just want it more than everybody else," Steen said. "Our team of seniors really wants to win. What happened last year showed us we couldn't just show up and win. We had to work harder during the offseason."

Last year, the Titans were ranked second heading into the state tournament but finished 1-2. Papillion-La Vista South came within one out of making the 2005 final but dropped a 7-6, nine-inning decision to Papillion-La Vista.

Papillion-La Vista South hasn't lost since the second game of a Sept. 13 doubleheader with Millard South and is the second Class A team to reach the state tournament with one defeat. Lincoln Southeast went to the 2001 state tournament with a 39-1 record but finished 42-3. Papillion-La Vista beat the Knights twice en route to the state title.

Ten of the Titans' 34 victories have been by one run, and eight other wins have been two-run decisions. They scored more than nine runs only three times in their other 16 victories.

"I've never had a season where everything has fallen into place in tight games," coach Dan Hogan said. "The players are very resilient. They just have a lot of heart, and we've had some great leadership."

More than one or two Titans have been late-inning heroes. Whether it's Steen, Alyssa Kirsch, Emily Perry, Chelse Koca, Kylie Kohler or Alexa Mackevicius, no Titan is afraid of a late-inning challenge.

When they do have a lead, Mackevicius has cooled opponents' bats from the mound. The Creighton recruit has a 23-0 record with a 0.45 ERA.

Hogan also credits a year-round strength and conditioning program for success in the late innings and the days when the Titans have played three or four games.

"It just helps the kids get stronger and faster," Hogan said. "In 2005 we had 40 extra-base hits, and the next year we had 70. That's no coincidence."

David City 0, 6 inn.: Erin Hullinger and Amy Dresseen each had a double and a single for Elkhorn.
 

• Papillion-La Vista South 8, Om. Bryan 0, 6 inn.: Jessica Grothe homered to back a one-hitter by Becky Dunn, who had 12 strikeouts for 25-1 Papillion-La Vista South.

Eastern Midlands Conf. Tournament
Semifinals
• Elkhorn 12, Gretna 0: Brittany Hoock, Ashley Hagemann and Amy Dresseen each had a home run for the Antlers.

Championship
• Elkhorn 5, Blair 0: Ashley Hagemann threw a perfect game with 18 strikeouts and Amy Dreessen had a two-run home run for Elkhorn (23-1).
 

• DC West 5, North Bend 4: Allie Frost had two hits, Dani Snyder added two hits and two RBIs and Amanda Samson hit the go-ahead two-run single in the sixth for the Falcons (13-8).
 

Another one-run game, another victory for Papillion-La Vista South.

And another loss for Omaha Westside.

The Titans - ranked No. 1 - won their seventh one-run game of the season Thursday with a 1-0 victory over third-ranked Omaha Westside in a showdown of Top 10 teams.

Westside's fortunes have been the polar opposite in similar games. The 14-6 Warriors are 1-6 in one-run games, with their lone victory a 2-1, 8-inning decision Sept. 1 over Class B No. 7 Omaha Skutt.

This time the loss had a lot to do with the opposing pitcher. Creighton recruit Alexa Mackevicius had a perfect game through five innings and finished with a no-hitter to improve her record to 15-0 this season.

"She's been mentally tough all year," Titans coach Dan Hogan said. "She's won five or six games by one run, and when that happens you know the pitching is there."

Mackevicius walked Amy Peterson to start the inning and end the chance for a perfect game. The only other Warrior to get on base was shortstop Jennifer Bohle, who reached on a two-out error later that inning.

Westside's rally ended when Mackevicius got future Creighton teammate Crista Ruf to ground out to third base.

Papio South scored the run it needed in the top of the sixth. Catcher Emily Perry led off with a single to center field, and then Mackevicius laid down a sacrifice bunt to move her to second base.

Third baseman Krista Steen followed that with a single to left that scored Perry as the throw home sailed over Westside catcher Amy Baker's head. The Titans also had two runners on base in the fourth inning and finished the game with seven hits.

Coach Kevin Dunn insisted the Warriors don't keep track of the number of close losses and is confident some of those hard-hit balls going right to fielders will turn into hits in the last two weeks of the regular season.

"Honestly we don't even think about it," Dunn said. "Maybe it's a costly error here or not getting a big hit with a runner on base there. We'll just keep battling and keep doing what we're doing."

Papillion-La Vista South (22-1)......000 001 0-1 7 1
Omaha Westside (14-6)..................000 000 0-0 0 0
• W-Alexa Mackevicius (15-0). L-Katie Jones (7-5).
 

Papillion-La Vista South earned a repeat Metro Conference softball championship on Monday night by repeating the way it defeated Omaha Marian earlier this season.

The 14-0 Titans scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning en route to a 3-2 win over the Crusaders before an estimated crowd of 250 at Seymour Smith. In their first meeting of the season on Sept. 1, the Titans scored twice in the first inning on their way to winning the Norfolk Invitational title.

"I did talk to them about that," Titans coach Dan Hogan said. "We wanted to jump on them early so they'd think back to that Norfolk tournament. Overall, our kids did a good job and got some timely hits."

Marian's appearance in the championship game was a bit of a surprise, as the 9-4 Crusaders have a young team with just one senior and two juniors on its roster. But the Crusaders have shown that they've grown up quickly by battling back from a 3-0 deficit after three innings.

"I told them I was just as proud of them tonight for the way they battled as I was on Saturday when they beat Papillion," Marian coach Al Leaders said. "Sometimes the effort rewards you with wins and sometimes it doesn't."

Returning All-Nebraska player Alexa Mackevicius kept the Crusaders off-balance most of the night by scattering three hits and recording six strikeouts.

Papio South gave Mackevicius an early cushion by scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning as the Titans mixed in two hits while taking advantage of a pair of Marian errors.

Center fielder Chelse Koca led off by reaching base on the first error. She then moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a single by catcher Emily Perry before Mackevicius brought her home on a groundout to shortstop. Third baseman Krista Steen then drove Perry home with a single up the middle for the second run.

The top-ranked Titans tacked on what proved to be the winning run in the third when Mackevicius singled with two outs. Her courtesy runner, Allie Mathewson, eventually scored on a single by first baseman Alyssa Kirsch. Hogan said the hit was Kirsch's fifth game-winning RBI of the season.

Marian got one of those runs back in the top of the fourth when second baseman Sara Borowiak doubled down the left-field line and scored on a single by third baseman Ali Gorup.

Losing pitcher Shelby Mendlik - one of Marian's two pitchers who throws every other inning - crushed a Mackevicius offering over the left-field fence in the top of the seventh to trim Papio's lead to one.

But Mackevicius bounced back to strike out the next three batters and seal the victory.

"I could tell she really buckled down after that," Hogan said. "She showed her true colors as a first-team all-state player."


Omaha Marian (9-4).........................000 100 1-2 4 2
PLV South (14-0)...............................201 000 x-3 6 0
At Seymour Smith
• W: Alexa Mackevicius. L: Shelby Mendlik. 2B: M, Sara Borowiak. HR: M, Mendlik. A :250 (est.).
 

Clutch play in the late innings on Saturday secured spots in the Metro Conference softball tournament championship game for Papillion-La Vista South and Omaha Marian.

The top-ranked Titans had to rally in the bottom of the seventh inning to edge Millard West 4-2 in the quarterfinals before squeezing out a run in the bottom of the sixth to edge Millard North 1-0 in the semifinals.

Class A No. 7 Marian slipped past Top 10 No. 10 Omaha Westside 3-2 in the quarterfinals before roughing up No. 2 Papillion-La Vista for four runs in the sixth inning in a 5-2 semifinal triumph.

Millard North reached the semifinals with an 11-3 win over Millard South while Papillion-La Vista defeated Omaha North 10-0 in six innings. All six of those games - plus four losers bracket contests - were played at Seymour Smith, where the championship game is scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m.

Papillion-La Vista South earned its shot at a repeat championship after scoring all four of its runs against Millard West with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. With runners at first and second base, winning pitcher Alexa Mackevicius tied the game with a double before Krista Steen won the game with a home run.

Alyssa Kirsch then had her fourth game-winning RBI of the season when she singled to bring home Emily Perry in the bottom of the sixth for the one run needed to defeat Millard North.

After starting the season with back-to-back losses in its own tournament, Marian has rebounded to win eight of its past nine games with a roster that includes only one senior and two juniors. UNO recruit Molly Feichtinger scored the Crusaders' first run and drove in the other two in the victory over Westside.

"Molly has been a great leader and really works well with the younger players," Marian coach Al Leaders said. "That first day we had some errors that cost us, but since then we've been getting better as we go along."

Thirteen of Marian's first 15 outs against Papillion-La Vista were strikeouts by Monarchs' ace Kylie Hovinga before the Crusaders got some offensive momentum in the sixth to take the lead for good and secure their first berth in the championship game since 2000.
 

Ralston and Omaha Gross were among the teams happy that Thursday night's wet weather didn't delay the start of their softball seasons.

A game's scheduled location proved to be the key in whether it was completed or postponed. On the western edge of Omaha, Ralston defeated Millard West 11-2 in five innings. But Papillion-La Vista and Lincoln East had to stop play in the first inning because of lightning, heavy rain and hail at Volunteer Field in Sarpy County.

The Monarchs had scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning after the game had already been delayed 35 minutes because of a 10-minute downpour. The rematch of last year's Class A state championship game has been rescheduled for Monday at 6 p.m., as has the Millard South's game at Omaha Burke.

Ralston, the 2006 Class B runner-up, scored six runs in the fourth inning to support a three-hitter by Brooke Cronican. Tina Winter had a double and two RBIs, Devon Reick scored three runs and stole two bases and Courtney Peterson had two hits and scored twice to lead the Rams in their first game for new coach Mike Smith.

"I wasn't sure what to expect, but we played about as well as we can play," Smith said. "We only had one error and didn't give up a hit until the fourth inning."

Gross swept McCook (2-1) and North Platte (6-0) in a double dual that also featured Omaha Skutt in ideal weather conditions at Hastings' Bill Smith Complex, the site of the Oct. 10-12 state tournaments. Coach Kelly Cheshier said she was pleasantly surprised with the way her young team performed.

"We have a brand new pitcher who learned last year from a senior, and our hitters were patient and got the big hits when we needed them," Cheshier said. "Everybody stepped up and did a great job."