SE Saline ends Trojans' season
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Before the start of the 2007 softball season, the Lady Trojans had three goals: go through the MCAA unbeaten and win the conference straight out, and finally make the state tournament.
Maybe the best one to hope for in years to come is that somehow the Lady Trojans from Southeast of Saline can manage to stay out of Hillsboro Lady Trojans' regional.
SES (10-11) ran its winning streak to nine straight games against Hillsboro (11-7) Thursday with a 3-0 shutout in the Southeast of Saline regional final at Gypsum.
Last season, a lethal error ruined perhaps the Trojans' best chance yet with SES pulling off a 6-5 upset.
Thursday, SES sophomore pitcher Cassie Schlesener shut down the Trojan offense, striking out four batters and allowing a sparse two hits.
"She's as good a pitcher as we've faced all season, she's right up there with Haven and Hoisington's pitchers" Trojan coach Stephanie Sinclair said of the SES pitching. "We never found a way to get any hits off of her. they played their best game of the season against us."
Trojan pitcher Jenesa Klose gave up seven hits, but only one was for extra bases. The run support was never there, however.
Hillsboro's only extra base hit came in the bottom the second with Amanda Bina's lead-off double to center field.
SES struck in the top of the second with Elissa Stein's two-out single to give the Lady Trojans a 1-0 lead.
Lora Andrews wrapped up a stellar career Thursday, which included all-MCAA honors, giving the Trojans their other hit in the bottom of the second with a leadoff single.
Andrews was the only Trojan runner to advance past second base for Hillsboro's best chance at a run. That evaporated on a pop-out, leaving runners stranded in scoring position.
SES swiped its other two runs, one in the fourth off an overthrow at third base, and a one-out bases loaded walk in the sixth, respectively.
With the loss of Andrews, the Trojans will lose leadership and solid play, but the core of the team are juniors and may finally be able to get over the regional hurdle next season.
"We had a good year," Sinclair said. "It would have been nice to win a few more, but it was a good year still."
(Off the diamond, the Lady Trojans went through a heart-breaking season that put winning and losing in a new light. See story, Pg. 10).
