Louisburg senior Miranda White was one of four Lady Cats selected to the all-Frontier League softball team last week. White earned first team honors for her play in the outfield and led the team in several offensive categories. Allyssa Griggs (second team), Emalee Overbay (honorable mention) and Molly Rison (honorable mention) were also all-league selections.

Five wins might not seem like a lot, but for the Louisburg girls softball team, it was a big step in the right direction this past season.

The Lady Cats were winless a year ago, and in a league that saw three teams in the state tournament, including state champion Spring Hill, Louisburg faced tough competition every week.

League coaches definitely took notice of Louisburg’s improvement and recognized four Lady Cat players on the all-Frontier League team that was released last week.

Senior Miranda White garnered first team outfield honors and junior Allyssa Griggs was placed on the second team as a pitcher. Junior Emalee Overbay (catcher) and freshman Molly Rison (infield) were selected as honorable mentions.

“I thought our team was well-represented with the all-league selections,” Louisburg coach John Ozier said. “I am convinced that the Frontier League is the toughest, most talented 4A league in the state of Kansas, as evidenced by the number of teams that qualified for the state tournament, and the talent of two teams that did not qualify (Paola and Ottawa). I am proud to say that we were highly competitive against most of these teams in the regular season.”

White, who has signed to play at the University of Sioux Falls next season, was the offensive catalyst for the Lady Cats from the leadoff spot. She led the team with a .506 batting average and a team-best .518 on base percentage.

She racked up 42 hits on the season, including seven doubles, a triple and a home run to go along with six RBIs. Also in 85 plate appearances, White never struck out.

White also led Louisburg defensively as she displayed a lot of range in centerfield with a .935 fielding percentage.

Allyssa Griggs, second team, pitcher

“Miranda put together a season that not only lead our team in many categories, but her numbers were among the highest when compared to many of the other quality players in our league,” Ozier said. “She was everything you look for in a leadoff hitter – great speed, high on-base percentage and a hitter that puts the ball in play. In the field, she committed very few errors and has a strong, accurate arm.”

Griggs started 12 games for Louisburg and struck out 66 batters to 39 walks in 93 innings. She also had five relief appearances and accumulated a 4.14 earned run average.

Pitching wasn’t the only things Griggs contributed as she served as the Lady Cats’ clean-up hitter. Griggs had a .352 average and had 25 hits that included five doubles, three triples and a home run to go along with 21 RBIs.

“Allyssa did not have a high number of wins this season, but she put together some quality starts with a very solid ERA,” Ozier said. “She did a fantastic job as our cleanup hitter with a strong average with runners in scoring position.”

Overbay caught many of those games from Griggs and had a good season for the Lady Cats, especially at the plate. Overbay was second on the Lady Cats with a .400 batting average and finished with 32 hits with a team-high 10 doubles, five triples and a home run. She also finished with 20 RBIs and a team-high .688 slugging percentage.

Emalee Overbay, honorable mention, catcher

As for Rison, she had a good first year for Louisburg as the first baseman/catcher hit .368 on the year with 25 hits. Rison had five doubles, a home run and 17 RBIs.

“Emalee and Molly’s selection as honorable mention is another testament to the talent in this league,” Ozier said. “They were both very close in being selected to the second team. Both girls posted great numbers at the plate. They were instrumental in delivering extra base hits in key situations. Emalee and Molly fielded their respective positions at catcher and first base with few errors and heads up play.”

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE SOFTBALL

First Team

Catcher: Sierra Sanderson, Spring Hill, junior

Infield: Kayla Kurtz, Baldwin, freshman; Jordan Flakus, Eudora, junior; Shea Mesik, Ottawa, senior; Dani Townley, Spring Hill, senior

Outfield: Miranda White, Louisburg, senior; Bayleigh Nelson, Ottawa, senior; Morgan Laudan, Paola, senior

Pitcher: Jordan Johnson, Paola, sophomore; Sarah Brown, Spring Hill, junior

Utility: Kylee Bremer, Baldwin, senior

Molly Rison, honorable mention, infield

Second Team

Catcher: Courtney Earring, Paola, junior

Infield: Kellee Wiggins, Baldwin, sophomore; Kamryn Shaffer, Ottawa, sophomore; Allison Daggett, Paola, junior; Matti Morgan, Paola, junior

Outfield: Sieana Hall, Baldwin, sophomore; Kylie Corneliusen, De Soto, senior; Elizabeth Hays, Spring Hill, sophomore

Pitcher: Kyla Etter, Eudora, freshman; Allyssa Griggs, Louisburg, junior

Utility: Carly Bodenhausen, De Soto, sophomore

Honorable Mention

Catcher: Emalee Overbay, Louisburg, junior; Jocelyn Woods, Ottawa, sophomore

Infield: Mackenzie Smith, De Soto, junior; Payton Faddis, De Soto, sophomore; Brooklynn Beerbower, Eudora, junior; Molly Rison, Louisburg, freshman; Courtney Clayton, Ottawa, senior

Outfield: Audrey Flowers, Baldwin, freshman; McKinley Markley, Baldwin, sophomore; Devin Purcell, Eudora, sophomore; Jasmine Thevarajoo, Eudora, junior; Meghan Smith, Paola, senior; Regan Smith, Spring Hill, sophomore

Pitcher: Lauren Dandreo, Ottawa, freshman

Utility: Alaina Howe, Eudora, sophomore; Ashaya Blevins, Ottawa, junior

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE SOFTBALL

First Team

Catcher: Sierra Sanderson, Spring Hill, junior

Infield: Kayla Kurtz, Baldwin, freshman; Jordan Flakus, Eudora, junior; Shea Mesik, Ottawa, senior; Dani Townley, Spring Hill, senior

Outfield: Miranda White, Louisburg, senior; Bayleigh Nelson, Ottawa, senior; Morgan Laudan, Paola, senior

Pitcher: Jordan Johnson, Paola, sophomore; Sarah Brown, Spring Hill, junior

Utility: Kylee Bremer, Baldwin, senior

Second Team

Catcher: Courtney Earring, Paola, junior

Infield: Kellee Wiggins, Baldwin, sophomore; Kamryn Shaffer, Ottawa, sophomore; Allison Daggett, Paola, junior; Matti Morgan, Paola, junior

Outfield: Sieana Hall, Baldwin, sophomore; Kylie Corneliusen, De Soto, senior; Elizabeth Hays, Spring Hill, sophomore

Pitcher: Kyla Etter, Eudora, freshman; Allyssa Griggs, Louisburg, junior

Utility: Carly Bodenhausen, De Soto, sophomore

Honorable Mention

Catcher: Emalee Overbay, Louisburg, junior; Jocelyn Woods, Ottawa, sophomore

Infield: Mackenzie Smith, De Soto, junior; Payton Faddis, De Soto, sophomore; Brooklynn Beerbower, Eudora, junior; Molly Rison, Louisburg, freshman; Courtney Clayton, Ottawa, senior

Outfield: Audrey Flowers, Baldwin, freshman; McKinley Markley, Baldwin, sophomore; Devin Purcell, Eudora, sophomore; Jasmine Thevarajoo, Eudora, junior; Meghan Smith, Paola, senior; Regan Smith, Spring Hill, sophomore

Pitcher: Lauren Dandreo, Ottawa, freshman

Utility: Alaina Howe, Eudora, sophomore; Ashaya Blevins, Ottawa, junior

Louisburg shortstop Katie Baker leaps in the air to catch a throw as she made the out at second base during last Wednesday’s regional tournament game in Paola. The Lady Cats fell to No. 1 seed Paola 10-0  to end their year with a 5-16 record.

PAOLA – Whenever you are going up against a tournament’s No. 1 seed, it is going to be a tough game and that was the case for No. 4 seed Louisburg last Wednesday.

The Lady Cats faced off with No. 1 Paola during the Class 4A regional tournament on the Panthers’ home field. Louisburg just didn’t have the offense to stay with Paola and it fell 10-0 in six innings.

Despite the loss, Louisburg had a big improvement from a season ago as it went from a winless program last year to five this season. The Lady Cats finished with a 5-16 record.

“Overall it was a very good season,” Louisburg coach John Ozier said. “It was a true pleasure to coach this group of girls. They all showed a high level of commitment throughout the season. We were very competitive and made great strides in building the program.”

Louisburg’s offense had a tough time getting going against Paola as it managed just three hits and never threatened to score. Miranda White, Molly Rison and Kennia Hankinson all had singles for Louisburg.

Louisburg senior Miranda White runs down a fly ball during the Lady Cats’ regional game last Wednesday in Paola.

Paola scored three runs in the first, second and fourth innings, before adding a run in the sixth to complete the run-rule victory

The loss also meant they had to say goodbye to seniors Paige Shaffer, Christina Dalrymple and White. Louisburg had to play without Dalrymple for most of the season due to a season-ending injury, but Ozier knows all three played big roles on the team.

“Our seniors were very instrumental in our success,” Ozier said. “Losing Christina early in the season was a devastating loss. Miranda and Paige really stepped up their game and provided much needed leadership for a team that had as many as four freshmen on the field at any given time. I am already looking forward to next season.”

Louisburg junior Emalee Overbay watches as she gets a base hit during a game earlier this season. Overbay and the Lady Cats got the sweep against De Soto on Friday as the offenses came through with 26 runs in the two games.

LENEXA – The Louisburg High School softball team has been on a tear with its bats as of late and that trend continued Friday against De Soto.

The Lady Cats’ offense pounded De Soto for 26 runs over two games and left with 14-5 and 12-0 victories at the 3&2 Baseball and Softball Complex. Louisburg has now tallied 86 runs in their last eight games and have won five of those.

“The girls were able to put together two of our most complete games of the year against De Soto,” Louisburg coach John Ozier said. “Our offense and defense really set the tone early. Getting out to an early lead helped our defenders play loose. We were really aggressive and attacked the ball.”

Louisburg made a statement in the first inning as it struck quickly for five runs to take the early lead. Freshman Molly Rison had a big 2-run double in the frame to get the Lady Cats going.

For the game, the Lady Cats had 14 hits, with only two of those going for extra bases, and were able to string several hits together. Rison had a big day for the Lady Cats as she had three hits to go along with four RBIs.

Senior Miranda White got Louisburg started offensively on several occasions as the Lady Cats leadoff hitter had four hits, including a double, and scored all four times.

Juniors Emalee Overbay and Allyssa Griggs each had a pair of hits and two RBIs each. Freshman Karson Griggs had two hits and an RBI and senior Paige Shaffer also added a run batted in.

Freshman Bailey Sarna got her first win of the season Friday as she pitched a one-hitter in a 12-0 win over De Soto.

De Soto cut the Louisburg (5-13) lead to 5-4 in the bottom of the fourth inning, but the Lady Cat offense answered with two runs in the fifth, three in the sixth and fourth in the seventh.

Allyssa Griggs also provided the Lady Cats with a strong performance on the mound. Allyssa gave up just one earned run to go along with four strikeouts over seven innings.

All the Lady Cats needed in the nightcap was two big innings and a shutdown performance from their starter. Freshman pitcher Bailey Sarna silenced the De Soto bats as she allowed no runs, one hit and had one strikeout over five innings.

Louisburg’s offense backed up Sarna as it came through with five runs in the first and seven more in the third to get the run-rule victory.

“More than anything else we have accomplished this year, I saw the girls picking each other up and thoroughly enjoying themselves on and off the field,” Ozier said.

Allyssa Griggs had a big day at the plate as she had three hits, which included a triple, a home run and three RBIs. Her 3-run home run in the third inning basically sealed the win for the Lady Cats.

Overbay also had three hits, including a triple and an RBI. Junior Hailey Crowder had two hits and three RBIs and Katie Baker had a pair of hits and two RBIs, including a double.

Freshman Kennia Hankinson finished with an RBI triple and Rison had a pair of hits and an RBI. White also added two hits.

Louisburg returns to action Thursday when it hosts Spring Hill on senior night. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

Louisburg catcher Molly Rison tags out an Ottawa runner trying to score after she received a perfect throw from centerfielder Miranda White on Tuesday in Ottawa. The Lady Cats lost both games of the doubleheader 11-7 and 12-10.

OTTAWA – The Louisburg High School softball team had one of its better offensive performances of the season as it put together 17 runs over the two games Tuesday against Ottawa.

The only problem was the Lady Cats couldn’t keep up with the hot-hitting Cyclones.

Louisburg took a four-run lead before falling to the Cyclones 11-7 in the opener and a late rally came up short in a 12-10 loss in the nightcap.

“I have commented numerous times this season about the amount of hard work this group has put in on the junior varsity and varsity, without a lot of wins to show for it,” Louisburg coach John Ozier said. “However, they continue to improve in many different aspects of the game.”

The Lady Cats (3-11) have definitely improved offensively as they have scored 60 runs in their last six games and have won three of those.

Louisburg’s bats got the Lady Cats going early in the opener as they took a 4-0 lead after two innings, but Ottawa took advantage of a Louisburg error in the bottom of the second that led to three runs.

However, one bad inning was the difference. Louisburg held a one-run lead into the fifth inning when Ottawa rallied for six runs in the bottom of the fifth and put the game away.

The Lady Cats did outhit Ottawa 13-10 and more than half of those came from middle of their lineup. Junior Emalee Overbay finished the game 4-for-4 with a double, a triple and four RBIs.

Louisburg third baseman Katie Baker throws out a runner during Tuesday’s doubleheader in Ottawa.

Fellow junior Allyssa Griggs was 3-for-4 with a double and a pair of RBIs. Freshman Molly Rison added an RBI single and another freshman, Kennia Hankinson, had a pair of hits, including a double.

“We continued the trend with our hot bats and jumped on Ottawa early,” Ozier said. “We had a couple of miscommunications on defense in key situations that hurt us. As we have continued to do this season, we take those mistakes and attempt to look at them as significant learning opportunities to work on in practice, so they won’t be repeated.”

In the nightcap, it was Ottawa that got off to the quick start.

The Cyclones had a five-run second inning that led to a 7-0 into the third inning. Louisburg trailed 12-4 going into the final inning, but the Lady Cats didn’t give up.

The Lady Cats answered with six runs to cut the Ottawa lead to two, but they could get no closer. Louisburg also used its defense to spark its bats.

Senior centerfielder Miranda White threw out a runner at home attempting to score and Rison, the team’s catcher, threw out a runner at second attempting to steal.

“Our freshmen pitchers had to face a really good hitting Ottawa offense,” Ozier said. “After falling behind 10-1, the girls could have decided to check out mentally. We had a couple of great defensive plays that got everyone fired up. We then proceeded to close the gap to 12-10 in the final inning, with the tying run at the plate to end the game.”

Hailey Crowder was hit by the pitch with the bases loaded to start the rally in the seventh and Katie Baker drove home a run on a sacrifice. White came through with an RBI single, Karson Griggs hit a sacrifice fly, Overbay had an RBI double and Allyssa Griggs singled home Overbay before Rison flew out to right field to end the game.

Overbay led the Lady Cats with three hits in the nightcap, while Allyssa Griggs, Rison and White each finished with two.

Louisburg returns to action today when it travels to De Soto for makeup doubleheader. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

Louisburg junior Hailey Crowder makes contact with a pitch during a game earlier this season. Crowder hit two home runs during Thursday’s doubleheader in Chanute in which the Lady Cats won the opener 18-14 and lost the nightcap 8-2. 

CHANUTE – Following a two hour bus ride to Chanute, Louisburg softball coach John Ozier thought it might take his team a little while to get going during Thursday’s doubleheader.

Boy, was he wrong.

The Lady Cats put up their best offensive performance of the season as they outlasted Chanute 18-14 to get their third consecutive win on the season. The winning streak was short-lived, however, as the Lady Cats couldn’t complete the sweep in an 8-2 loss in the nightcap.

Still, Ozier liked what he saw from his offense in the opener and the fight he saw from his team throughout the night.

“Chanute is a very good hitting team, as evidenced by their 9-run inning to take the lead later in the game,” Ozier said. “The girls showed great resolve by answering Chanute’s big inning, coming back to take the lead in our very next at bat. Up and down our line-up, we put together some really good at bats. We have been working on our approach at the plate, staying patient and waiting for the hittable pitches.”

Louisburg wasted no time getting started in the opener as it scored eight runs in the first inning thanks to two RBI hits from junior Emalee Overbay, one by Molly Rison and a 3-run home run by junior Hailey Crowder.

The Lady Cats (3-11) got production from up and down the lineup and it started from the leadoff spot. Senior Miranda White had a team-high five hits, including a double and a triple, and was a home run away from the cycle.

Overbay got the key hits with runners on base. She finished with four hits, which included two doubles, a triple and had five RBIs. She was also a home run away from a cycle.

Rison and fellow freshman Karson Griggs each had three hits. Rison added three RBIs and Griggs drove home a pair of runs as well. Allyssa Griggs also finished with a triple and two RBIs.

Crowder delivered a big home run in the first game and had another home run in the nightcap to have her best performance of the season.

“The top of our lineup puts a lot of pressure on the opposing defenses,” Ozier said. “Miranda is really seeing the ball well right now. Karson can move runners either with her bunting ability or hitting to the right side. Our three, four and five hitters (Overbay, Allyssa Griggs and Rison) all have great power.

“Hailey Crowder has been working hard with her approach and it really paid off against Chanute. She hit towering home runs in each game.”

Starter Allyssa Griggs shut down the Chanute lineup for the first three innings and took a 9-1 lead into the fourth, but Chanute finally broke through and scored nine runs in the fourth, which was aided by a few Louisburg errors.

All of a sudden, the Lady Cats found themselves down 10-9 in the fifth, but they didn’t back down Louisburg scored three runs in the fifth on an RBI single from Karson Griggs after White led the inning off with a triple.

Rison and freshman Kennia Hankinson followed with RBI groundouts to give Louisburg a 12-10 lead. The Lady Cats added five more in the sixth when Overbay came up with the bases loaded and promptly cleared them with a triple.

Allyssa Griggs added a triple of her own to score Overbay and Rison had an RBI single to go up 17-10.

Louisburg’s offense cooled off in the nightcap, but freshmen pitchers Bailey Sarna and Bailey Kern kept the Lady Cats in the game.

Chanute had a 3-0 lead into the third inning, but the Lady Cats cut into the deficit in the next two frames. White continued her hot hitting with a solo home run in the third and Crowder followed suit in the fourth with her second home run of the day.

Louisburg trailed by a run going into the bottom of the fourth, but Chanute tacked on a run in the fourth and four more in the fifth to pull away.

“Bailey Sarna and Bailey Kern kept us close until Chanute put together a big fifth inning to put it away,” Ozier said. “We appeared to run out of gas from the emotional roller coaster in game one and just could not string together any big hits in game two. “

The Lady Cats return to action today when they travel to Ottawa for a doubleheader. On Friday, Louisburg will also travel to De Soto in a makeup contest from its postponement last week. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

Louisburg junior Emalee Overbay makes contact with a pitch during the Lady Cats’ doubleheader Thursday against Osawatomie at Lewis-Young Park. Louisburg defeated Osawatomie 12-2 and 11-10 to snap its 33-game losing streak.

It has been a long 33 games for the Louisburg High School softball team.

The last 33 times the Lady Cats took the field, they left with some sort of disappointment and a loss. It was never easy.

Now, the Lady Cats can put that all behind them. In fact, Louisburg has a different kind of streak going.

Louisburg pulled off a sweep of Osawatomie on Thursday at Lewis-Young Park with a pair of 12-2 and 11-10 victories that snapped a 33-game losing skid and has since started a mini winning streak.

“Our wins against Osawatomie were an important step for the girls this season,” Louisburg coach John Ozier said. “They have worked so hard in practice and have battled their hearts out, with what appeared to be nothing to show for it. This team has overcome a lot this year with major injuries to one of our senior leaders (Christina Dalrymple) and now losing our back up varsity pitcher (Kelsey Higginbotham) for the season.”

The Lady Cats (2-10) had everything working for them offensively in the doubleheader and used their bats to jump out to a quick lead in the opener.

Senior Miranda White slides safely into home during Thursday’s doubleheader opener against Osawatomie.

Louisburg found itself down 1-0 after the top of the first, but it went on to score three runs in the first, four in the fourth and four more in the sixth to complete the run-rule win.

Junior Emalee Overbay and freshman Karson Griggs gave the Lady Cats a big lead early with the long ball as each hit a 3-run home run to eventually put Louisburg up 7-2 after four innings. Griggs led the Lady Cats with 4 RBIs in the game, while Overbay added three hits, including a pair of doubles to go along with her home run.

Senior Miranda White also had a good game offensively with three hits and scored three times. Junior Hailey Crowder had a pair of hits and 2 RBIs and senior Paige Shaffer added a two-run single that iced the game in the sixth inning.

“One of the most frustrating parts of our early season losses was the inability to get the key hit with runners in scoring position,” Ozier said. “The home runs by Karson and Emalee really ignited our offense and got everyone charged up. Miranda has been tough on the opposition in the leadoff position and exerts constant pressure on the defense with her base running.”

Junior Allyssa Griggs, who added a pair of hits and an RBI herself, got the win for the Lady Cats as she pitched a complete game. Griggs pitched six innings and gave up just one earned run and had six strikeouts.

“I can’t say enough about how Allyssa has battled on the mound this season,” Ozier said. “She has unselfishly pitched extra innings to help this team stay in some games and never fails to answer the bell.”

The nightcap saw several younger players step up early to help the Lady Cats.

Freshman Bailey Sarna got the start for Louisburg and pitched four innings and held Osawatomie to five earned runs in place of Higginbotham, who was injured before the start of the doubleheader. Allyssa Griggs pitched the final three innings to get the win.

Louisburg had a comfortable 9-3 lead going into the fifth inning, but Osawatomie exploded for seven runs to take a one-run lead.

The Lady Cats didn’t back down as Shaffer had an RBI groundout to tie the game in the sixth. Then in the seventh, Allyssa Griggs helped her own cause as she had an RBI single to score White to win the game in walk-off fashion.

Freshman Molly Rison had a big game at the plate as she was 4 for 4, with a pair of doubles and four RBIs. Another freshman, Karson Griggs, also had three hits, as did Overbay.

White, who also had an RBI single, scored three runs and Katie Baker added an RBI double.

Louisburg will try and continue its winning ways Tuesday when it travels to De Soto for a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

Lady Cats lose two close games to Baldwin

With one swing of the bat, junior Allyssa Griggs nearly pulled off what would have been an epic comeback for the Louisburg softball team last Tuesday against Baldwin.

Griggs came to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh with the Lady Cats down four runs. She swung and sent a ball to deep right field – a home run would have tied the game – but it came up just short and hit the fence for a 3-run double.

Griggs, the tying run, was stranded on second and Baldwin left Louisburg with a 7-6 victory. Baldwin completed the sweep in the nightcap with an 11-8 victory over the Lady Cats.

Freshman first baseman Molly Rison looks to make a catch a double a runner off first Tuesday against Baldwin in Louisburg.

In the opener, the Lady Cats trailed 4-0, but scored three runs in the sixth to cut into the Baldwin lead.

Freshman Kennia Hankinson scored on a single by Griggs and Emalee Overbay singled and later scored on a passed ball. Freshman Karson Griggs then doubled home pinch runner Tomi Frederes to make it 4-3.

Baldwin quickly answered in the seventh with three runs of its own, which set up a dramatic final inning for Louisburg.

With two outs, senior Miranda White and Overbay walked and Hankinson singled to load the bases for Allyssa Griggs, who would clear them with the double before being stranded at second.

Allyssa led the Lady Cats with four RBIs, while Hankinson had a pair of hits to lead the Louisburg bats.

Louisburg jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first inning, but could not hold on as Baldwin scored their 11 runs over the final four innings.

White led the Louisburg offense with three hits and an RBI single. Senior Paige Shaffer added two RBIs in the loss, while Allyssa, Karson, and Hailey Crowder had run-scoring hits as well.

Louisburg junior Allyssa Griggs hurls a pitch toward catcher Emalee Overbay during the Lady Cats’ road contest Tuesday in Eudora. The Lady Cats lost both games 4-3 and 5-3.

EUDORA – The Louisburg softball team was close to its first win of the season during Tuesday’s doubleheader – oh so close.

Louisburg, which is looking for its first victory since the end of the 2014 season, nearly put an end to a forgettable streak. However, a Lady Cat error in the final inning helped give Eudora a 4-3 win in the opener and a big inning in the nightcap propelled the Cardinals to a 5-3 win.

Despite the losses, the Lady Cats are inching closer to putting this losing streak behind them thanks to the guidance of the juniors and seniors on the team.

“Our upperclassmen are really doing a great job with our freshmen,” Louisburg coach John Ozier said. “At any given time, we may have four freshmen in the game. The girls continue to have some growing pains, but I definitely see marked improvement.”

The Lady Cats (0-8) put up a fight as they rallied from deficits in both contests.

Eudora jumped out to a two-run lead in the opener, but with one swing of the bat, Louisburg was able to tie it up. In the fourth inning, the Lady Cats took advantage of two Eudora errors and evened the score at 2-all when Hailey Crowder doubled to score Molly Rison and Allyssa Griggs.

The Cardinals scored a run to take a one-run lead in the bottom of the fifth, but again Louisburg answered. Rison led off the sixth inning with a double, and after a sacrifice by Karson Griggs, scored on a sacrifice fly by Paige Shaffer.

Freshman Kennia Hankinson tags out a runner at third Tuesday in Eudora.

In the bottom of the seventh, with a runner on, Eudora took advantage of a Louisburg error on a sacrifice bunt that allowed the Cardinals to win in walk-off fashion. It was the fifth Lady Cat error of the game.

“It was an exciting game from start to finish,” Ozier said. “We got down two different times and battled back to tie the game. The girls battled all the way to the end.”

Crowder finished with a pair of hits to lead the Wildcat offense, while Rison, Katie Baker and Kennia Hankinson each added a hit.

Allyssa Griggs started for the Lady Cats and gave up four runs, but none of them were earned. She struck out two batters and walked three.

Louisburg actually out-hit Eudora in the nightcap 6-5, but couldn’t bring those runs home. Eudora scored a run in the first to open the game, but the Lady Cats responded the next frame.

Allyssa Griggs led off with a single, Rison walked and both runners advanced on a sacrifice from Karson Griggs. Shaffer scored Griggs to tie the game on a ground out and Rison came around to score on a Baker single and give Louisburg the 2-1 lead.

It stayed that way till the bottom of the third when Eudora scored four runs off starter Kelsey Higginbotham. Allyssa Griggs pitched four innings of relief and gave up no runs and struck out five.

The Lady Cats chipped away at the lead with a run in the fourth. Baker led the inning off with a double and later scored on a ground out by Miranda White.

Unfortunately, Louisburg could not get any closer and will have to wait a little while longer for that first win.

Baker led the Lady Cat offense with a pair of hits and an RBI and Emalee Overbay added a double. White, Allyssa Griggs and Crowder also finished with a hit each and Rison walked three times.

“The second game had the potential to really get away from us,” Ozier said. “We were able to recover and made a game of it at the end. I really like the way this team battles.”

Louisburg returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Baldwin. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. at Lewis-Young Park.

Louisburg senior Christina Dalrymple (right) flips the ball to freshman shortstop Kennia Hankinson to try and turn a double play during a game earlier this season. The Lady Cats fell to Prairie View on Thursday in both games of the doubleheader.

LA CYGNE – To say the Louisburg High School softball team had a rough day Thursday might be an understatement.

It was not just because of the final score, or the frigid weather conditions, but the Lady Cats watched as a teammate went down with an injury in the second game of the doubleheader at Prairie View High School.

Senior Christina Dalrymple sustained a knee injury midway through the second game and was unable to finish the contest. Louisburg also lost both games of the doubleheader 12-4 and 13-1 and is still looking for its first win.

“We suffered a major blow when Christina went down with the injury,” Louisburg coach John Ozier said. “She is one of our senior leaders. In the meantime, we will need to have the next girl up, step in and be ready to compete.”

In the opener, the Lady Cats got going early as they had a one-run lead in the second and third innings. Prairie View, however, scored two runs in the second and three in the third to take a 5-3 lead into the fifth inning.

The Buffalos broke the game open with a four-run fifth inning and added three more in the sixth to take the first game.

Freshman Molly Rison had a big day at the plate for Louisburg as she had a pair of hits, including a home run in the sixth and had 3 RBIs. Junior Allyssa Griggs finished with three hits, including a triple, while senior Miranda White and freshman Kennia Hankinson each added two hits.

Griggs also started the game for Louisburg (0-6) and had to work around three errors. She gave up five earned runs, but struck out nine batters.

“We took two steps back last Thursday,” Ozier said. “We continue to struggle with timely hitting. We are putting good pressure on the defense, but we still have not had that big hit that leads to a big inning.”

The Lady Cats couldn’t find that big inning in the nightcap, either.

Prairie View jumped on Louisburg early as it scored five runs in each of the first two innings to pull away for the 12-run victory.

White had a big day offensively for the Lady Cats as she finished 3-for-3 with a double and was the lone Lady Cat to have a multi-hit game. Junior Emalee Overbay drove in White in the first inning to give Louisburg a 1-0 lead.

Louisburg will try for its first win today when it travels to Eudora. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

“Even though this team is winless in six games, we continue to compete hard,” Ozier said. “We just need to eliminate the base running errors, and defensively, avoid the big inning by the other team.”

The Louisburg High School junior varsity softball team won its first game in two years following its 10-9 victory over Fort Scott on Tuesday at Lewis-Young Park. Members of the team are (front row, from left) Kallee Bartlett, Bailey Sarna, Skylar Keaton, Sophie Purdon, Bailey Kern; (back row) Ryan Caldwell, Taylor San Agustin, Tomi Frederes, Hannah Jones, Riley Vohs, Alexa Goodspeed and Haven Turner. Not pictured is Kelsey Higginbotham and Vonnah LaHue.