Bison girls bow out of state softball tourney

HASTINGS, Neb. -- McCook High School's girls softball team took a bunch of hot bats to the Class B state tournament.

But the Bison couldn't get the sticks warmed up Wednesday, Oct. 10, resulting in a pair of losses and elimination from the state tournament.

McCook ended the season with a 19-17 overall record after losing to Omaha Skutt Catholic and Blair in state tournament play at the Bill Smith Softball Complex in Hastings.

McCook scored 19 runs in a Class B-6 District final win over Lexington Oct. 5. But the Bison could not get the offense in gear at state.

THE BISON, seeded eighth in the Class B state tournament field, opened with a 9-1, five-inning loss to top seed Skutt Catholic in first-round play Wednesday afternoon. The loss dropped McCook to an elimination contest against Blair Wednesday evening. The Bison again couldn't mount enough offense in a 13-4 loss.

Standout pitcher Kaylan Joblonski of Skutt limited McCook to just one hit in the first-round loss. Jobloski struck out nine McCook hitters in a game shortened to five innings by the eight-run mercy rule.

McCOOK was making its first state tournament appearance since 2009.

Look for a recap story on a record-breaking McCook girls softball season in next week's Sports pages and on the Gazette web site.

2012 NEBRASKA STATE CLASS B GIRLS SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Wednesday-Friday, Oct. 10-12, at Bill Smith Complex, Hastings

Double-Elimination

(Team's tournament seed & win-loss record in parenthesis)

Wednesday, Oct. 10 Results

First Round Results

Omaha Skutt Catholic 9, McCook 1 (5 innings)

Lincoln Pius X 3, Blair 0

Grand Island Northwest 9, Seward 1 (6 innings)

Elkhorn High 9, York 6

Elimination Bracket First Round Results

Blair 13, McCook 4 (6 innings), McCook (#8, 19-16) eliminated

York 6, Seward 1, Seward (#6, 18-12) eliminated

Thursday, Oct. 11 Schedule

Winner's Bracket Semifinals

Game 7 -- Omaha Skutt Catholic (#1, 25-3) vs. Lincoln Pius X (#4, 24-7), 10 a.m., field 4

Game 8 -- Grand Island Northwest (#3, 29-1) vs. Elkhorn High (#7, 23-7), 10 a.m., field 2

Elimination Bracket Second Round Games

Game 9 -- Blair (#5, 20-6) vs. G.I. Northwest-Elkhorn loser, 3 p.m., field 1

Game 10 -- York (#2, 28-4) vs. Skutt Catholic-Lincoln Pius X loser, 3 p.m., field 2

Winner's Bracket Final

Game 11 -- Skutt Catholic-Lincoln Pius X winner vs. G.I. Northwest-Elkhorn winner, 5:30 p.m., field 2 (winner to championship final)

Elimination Bracket Semifinals

Game 12 -- Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 5:30 p.m., field 4

Friday, Oct. 12 Schedule

Elimination Bracket Final

Game 13 -- Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 11, 12:30 p.m., field 2 (winner to championship final)

Championship Final

Game 14 -- Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13, 3 p.m., field 2

Championship Final II (if necessary)

Game 15 -- Winner Game 14 vs. Loser Game 14 (if Game 14 loser's first loss), 30 minutes after conclusion of Game 14, field 2