Jeff West senior girls

For the first time in school history, the Jeff West softball team has advanced to the state tournament.  On Monday in Hoyt, after beating Perry Lecompton 11-1, the Tigers avenged their only loss on the season, topping Royal Valley 5-0 in the Regional Championship.  The Lady Tigers will take an 19-1 record to Pratt for the Class 4A - Division 2 Tournament later this month.  

Jeff West 5, Royal Valley 0 - Championship
Olivia Brees tossed a three-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts as the Tigers scored a pair of unearned runs in the second and fourth innings and tacked on a score in the fifth for the victory.  Victoria Johnson was 2-3 with a double and run scored while Kaileigh Wright reached on two of the four Panther errors and scored twice.  Emily Brown and Madison Greene added RBI singles, while Jaycee Worrell had two of the three Royal Valley hits before the Panthers ended their season with a 14-6 record and fell one-win shy of their first state softball tournament appearance.  

Royal Valley 16, Holton 11
The wind played a factor in this semifinal that showcased 27 runs, 30 hits, 9 errors and 18 runners left on base.  After a two-run homer by Leslie Schuetz in the first inning, Royal Valley never gave up the lead and scored in every inning.  The Panthers led 3-2 after one frame and stretched it to 6-2 entering the fourth.  It was then, after one of five costly Holton errors, the Panthers capitalized with 7 unearned runs as seven batters came to the plate and delivered after two outs had been recorded. It looked like Holton was done and about to be run-ruled trailing 14-2 entering the bottom of the fifth; however, the Cats rallied with 9 runs on 6 hits and took Panthers miscues to get within 14-11.  Yet, RV added single tallies in the sixth and seventh and relief pitcher, Hannah Beam, got the final 8 outs of the game allowing no runs on just a trio of hits for the save.  

Kaileigh Gray-Milligan allowed 11 hits and runs in four and a third innings to get the win and pitched all six frames in the championship for Royal Valley.  For Holton, Quinn Holaday was tagged for 10 hits and 13 runs before, but only 3 were earned, before Emmy McManigal worked the final 3 and two-thirds of the game allowing 3 runs on 6 hits.  

Holton's offense was led by Cassidy Merriman, who went 3-5 with a pair of home runs and a two-run double in the big fifth inning.  McManigal had 3 hits while Amber Searles added a pair of doubles with two runs and RBI.  Taryn Weilert, Ali Morris and Mikayla Booth also had two hits each for Holton before their season ended with a 15-6 record.  

Royal Valley, who had lost to Holton 9-1 and 12-5 in the regular season, had all 9 players score a run, pounding out 16 hits.  Worrell was 4-6 while Marissa Lafferty went 3-4 including a triple.  Caitlin Burns added a home run and RBI single, while Kaylie Parker had a couple hits and 3 runs scored.  

Jeff West 11, Perry Lecompton 1 - Semifinal
Olivia Brees tossed the first four innings and Jeff West led 2-0 going into the fourth before they pulled away for the win.  Victoria Johnson was 2-2 with a home run, while Madison Greene and Brees each added a pair of hits in the Tigers route.  Brees tossed 11 shutout innings on the day and allowed only 4 hits.