Regional championships draw near

The Frontenac Raider softball team has had over a week to ponder their season-ending sweep at the hands of the Girard Trojans.

In that series, the Raiders hung with the CNC champs in the first game, falling 4-2, but failed to produce any offense in a 12-1 loss in the second game.

That was a game where head coach Cassie Buche said that she was “more disappointed” in her team than she has ever been.

Now that Buche and the Raiders took over a week to think about that, they will have one more day to work out the kinks as the Class 3A softball regional tournament kicks off today.

The No. 2-seed Raiders collected a first-round bye, meaning that they move on to the semifinals on Tuesday where they will play the winner of No. 3 Southeast (9-9) and No. 6 Galena (4-16) at 4:45 p.m. at the Raider Sports Complex.

In the top half of the bracket, the Riverton Rams, who also swept the Raiders on April 28 5-3 and 4-3 drew the top seed and also received a bye. The Rams will take on the winner of No. 4 Baxter Springs (8-8) and No. 5 Erie (4-14) at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Frontenac.

The championship game is slated for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

In Class 4A, the Girard Trojans have also had a week to think about their sweep of the Raiders.

Girard was scheduled to take on Columbus on Friday but wet grounds at Red Wutke Park forced the cancellation of the series.

Now, the Trojans (18-0), the top seed and Class 4A regional tournament host will host No. 8-seeded Parsons (3-15) at 4:30 p.m. today at Red Wutke Park.

The Trojans come in as defending Class 4A regional champions after defeating Pittsburg in last season’s Class 4A regional finals.

Girard lost in the first round of the Class 4A state tournament to Eudora in Mulvane.
Columbus (16-0), the team that Girard was slated to play Friday, is the No. 2-seed and will host No. 7 Chanute (4-14) at 4:30 p.m. today in Columbus in the bottom half of the Girard bracket.

A Girard win placed them in the semifinals against either No. 4 Coffeyville (10-10) or No. 5 Labette County (9-10) at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Wutke Park.

If Columbus gets past Chanute, they will have either No. 3 Fort Scott (14-4) or No. 6 Independence (7-9) waiting for them at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday.

The Class 4A regional tournament championship will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Wutke Park.

In Class 2-1A, the St. Mary’s-Colgan Panthers hold the No. 1 seed in the Northeast regional and will wait to play the winner of the No. 4 St. Paul (4-10)-No. 5 Northeast (2-18) at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Northeast High School.

In the bottom of the bracket, No. 2 Oswego (7-9) received a first-round bye and will take No. 3 Chetopa (6-9) at 4:45 p.m. Tuesday in Arma.

Matthew Clark can be reached at matthew.clark@morningsun.net or at 620-231-2600, Ext. 140.