Woodland softball comes up short in second round of state playoffs

It went down to the wire in the final game, but the Woodland softball team lost both games of a doubleheader Wednesday night and were eliminated in their second round Class AAAAA playoff series at Whitewater.

The losses brought to an end an outstanding playoff run by the local Lady Cats.

Whitewater -- also Lady Wildcats -- won the opener 7-2 and then took the nightcap of the doubleheader, 4-3 in eight innings, to sweep the best-of-three series.

Woodland totaled nine hits in the opener, but squandered some scoring chances by leaving eight runners on base.

Whitewater posted two runs in the first, second, and fourth innings of Game 1 and another run in the third inning to stake a 7-1 lead.

Brittney Cox and Audrey Morris were both two-for-three in the first game for Woodland. Bella Carnes (RBI), Caroline Higdon (RBI), Jordan Duck, Skylar Chappell, and Emma Jordan added one hit each.

Katelyn Perry was three-for-four with one RBI, while Lauren King had two hits and two RBIs for Whitewater in Game 1. Perry hit a solo homer and doubled. Bailey Vessell totaled a pair of hits with one RBI. Jordan Roy (RBI), Sarah Middleton (double), and Ruth Jones had the other Whitewater hits.

Middleton (15 IP, 5R, 1ER, 17H, 3BB, 13K) was the winning pitcher for Whitewater in both games of the double dip. Woodland’s Sarah Baynard 14 IP, 10R, 6ER, 15H, 2BB, 5K) suffered both losses in the pitching circle.

Game 2 went to extra innings tied 3-3. Whitewater took an early 1-0 lead, but Woodland tied the game in the third and went ahead 3-1 with two more runs in the fourth inning. Whitewater knotted the score with two runs in the sixth inning.

Whitewater, who committed six errors in the nightcap, scored their go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by Middleton.

Perry and Bailey Vessell of Whitewater combined for five hits in the second game. Middleton and King both drove in two runs with a hit each.

Jordan had three hits and one RBI in the finale for Woodland. Duck contributed a double among her two hits. Jamison Kilgo (triple), Morris, and Chappell had the other hits for the Lady Cats. Cox added one RBI.

Whitewater advances to the Class AAAAA Elite Eight double-elimination finals in Columbus October 27-29 where they will open against Walnut Grove.

Woodland’s season closes with a 15-21 season record.