A remarkable run by the Nanih Waiya fast-pitch softball team came to an end last Thursday night at Sebastopol in the second round of the MHSAA Class 1A state playoffs.
The Lady Warriors, after a thrilling 15-14 win in Game 1 of their best-of-three series at home last Tuesday, dropped 13-7 and 10-5 decisions at Sebastopol in the second and third games.
Nanih Waiya finished the year with a record of 11-11 after starting out 0-5.
Twelve errors in the second and third games combined led to 13 unearned runs. Nanih Waiya committed just one error in last Tuesday’s win.
In that contest, freshman Dallyn Nance was the hero in the seventh inning with a walkoff grand slam home run.
Nanih Waiya led 3-0 after three innings, but Sebastopol scored six times in the top of the fourth and five more times in the top of the fifth and was up 11-6.
Nanih Waiya tied it with five runs in the home half of the fifth, only to see the Lady Bobcats score once in the sixth and twice in the seventh to go up 14-11.
In the bottom of the seventh, Ashley Higginbotham, Hope Thames and Hannah Higginbotham started the inning with consecutive singles to load the bases. With one out, Nance homered to left field to clear the sacks and give Nanih Waiya the win.
Nance finished with two hits, two runs and five RBIs. Thames was 3-for-5 with a triple, four RBIs and three runs scored and Hannah Higginbotham was 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI to lead the Lady Warriors.
Ashley Higginbotham (three runs) and Braydon Wright (two runs) added two hits apiece and Wright also had an RBI.
Jalia Cotton doubled, scored and drove in one; Morgan Mills had two RBIs and a run scored; and Kaylee Gregory scored once.
Thames, Gregory, Nance and Mills all saw time in the circle.
In Game 2 at Sebastopol Thursday, the Lady Warriors fell behind 7-0.
Nanih Waiya got as close as 7-6 in the fourth inning before the Lady Bobcats put the game away with three runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh.
Thames was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI and Nance had two hits for Nanih Waiya.
Hannah Higginbotham doubled and drove in one; Cotton singled and scored; Mills had a single; Wright had two RBIs and a run; Ashley Higginbotham had a run and an RBI; and Gregory and Hailey Simpson both scored once.
Nance and Mills handled pitching duties and combined to allow four earned runs.
In the third and decisive game, Nanih Waiya scored three times in the top of the third to go up 5-2. But Sebastopol scored four times in the bottom of the same inning and the Lady Warriors failed to score again.
Nance, Thames, Mills, Simpson and Ashley Higginbotham had one hit apiece. Nance, Simpson and Gregory had RBIs; while Thames, Nance, Mills, Gregory and Hannah Higginbotham all scored once.
Mills and Gregory both saw time in the circle, combining to allow six earned runs while striking out five.
