Moreland carries Lady Cats past Paola with complete game, walk-off homer

Members of the Louisburg softball team surround junior Izzy Moreland at home plate after she hit a 2-run walk-off home run last Tuesday against Paola. Moreland also pitched a complete game with 11 strikeouts.

Through seven innings, Louisburg junior Izzy Moreland put together her best pitching performance of the season last Tuesday against Paola.

Moreland had just completed seven innings and gave up just one run to the Panthers as she struck out 11. Despite that, the Lady Cats were still down a run with three outs remaining.

As it turned out, Moreland had a pretty good day with the bat as well.

After Addy Stohs singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh, Moreland hit a 2-run walk-off home run to give the Lady Cats a 2-1 victory over the Panthers and end a 3-game losing streak in the process.

Inclement weather prevented the two teams from finishing the doubleheader last Tuesday, but the second game was played Friday and Paola got the split as it handed Louisburg a 3-1 setback.

The Lady Cats finished their season with a 7-13 record as they enter the Class 4A regional tournament as the No. 13 seed.

Moreland recorded her best all-around performance of the season on the mound as she gave up just the one run in the third inning, and Paola held on to that lead until the bottom of the seventh.

With Stohs on first, Moreland hit a high fly ball to right field that hit the top of the fence and bounced over. That sent her teammates running out of the dugout to meet her at home plate.

Prior to that inning, the Lady Cats had trouble getting anything going as they had just three hits up until that point. Those came on singles from Moreland, Megan Quinn and Ashley Moreau.

Louisburg’s makeup contest was very similar to the opener as it was a low-scoring affair. Paola got two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth to take a 3-0 lead.

The Lady Cats scratched a run across in the sixth when freshman Delaney Nelsen scored after Moreland grounded out on a fielder’s choice. However, that was the only run the Lady Cats would get.

Louisburg had five hits, including two from Nelsen and a double from Moreau. Moreland and Brynley Bauer each had singles.

Ultimately, it was the mistakes that hurt the Lady Cats as they committed five errors and all three Paola runs were unearned.

Quinn started the game for Louisburg as she gave up four hits in four innings and struck out four. Moreland pitched the final three innings and had a pair of strikeouts.

Louisburg will now begin postseason play today as the Lady Cats square off with No. 4 Ottawa at 4:30 p.m. at the Orlis Cox complex in Ottawa. The winner of that game will play the winner of Holton/Rock Creek for the championship later in the day.