HHS softball preps for Newton
By NICK McQUEEN
Hays High School second-year softball coach Keith Dechant spent much of Sunday afternoon finding out as much as he could about the 10-10 Newton Railers, the Indians' first-round opponent in Tuesday's Class 5A Regional Championships at Great Bend. Game time is 4:45 p.m.
With a win, Dechant and his players could get another shot at rival Great Bend.
"We are feeling very confident right now," Dechant said. "During the season we would get a couple wins, then play poorly and get a couple losses and it really put us down."¬
This time, Hays High (8-9) is on a three-game winning streak, which could have been four had it not been for a game called by rain before it became official. The hitting has come along and the defense is better, leaving the Indians with a great deal of hope for a rematch with the Panthers.
"This is the first time we've strung together three wins in a row, so the girls are feeling good about heading into this regional," Dechant said.
Part of the recent success has been an improvement in the team's hitting, but the biggest change has been the defense. For the first time this season, the Indians committed no errors in a run-rule win over Salina Central to close the regular season at Dusty Glassman Ball Park.
"The defense has improved so much because of the position changes," said senior third baseman Allison Groff, who moved from first to third this year. "It's really led to a lot less errors, and the bats are starting to come around. That's something we really didn't have a lot of last year."
It wasn't there earlier this season either, when Hays High fell 10-0 and 14-1 in Great Bend, the No. 1 seed at 17-2 for the regional.
"The leadership has been so much better as of late," Dechant said. "Especially out of our seniors. Sandra Nickel has been making key plays and getting hits, and Allison Groff has settled in and made the routine plays at third base. The defense has improved tremendously."
While Hays High has strung together three straight wins and isn't overlooking anyone, the Railers are coming off four straight losses, two to No. 2 seed Salina South, the host on the other side of the bracket.
"They seem to be down right now, but have played really tough teams,"¬ Dechant said of the Railers.
Hays High's three wins have come over Garden City and Salina Central, the No. 7 seed in the Salina South bracket.
Sophomore first baseman Anna Voss leads the Indians in hitting this season. Batting in the cleanup spot, Voss is batting .426, followed by Allison Groff at .320.
"We just have to keep the errors down and get the bats going,"¬ Allison Groff said. "We would always have a couple hits here and there, but never could get it all together and get it going."
Dechant said Sunday he wasn't sure who the Indians would pitch in the first game against Newton. The Indians have two sophomore right-handers, Carissa Wickham is 5-4 on the season, while Amanda Groff, Allison's younger sister, is 3-5. Dechant said they would decide after today's practice who would start.
Senior Heather Torres is Newton's top pitcher, while freshman Jade Southern has also made two starts.
The eight-win season by a young Indian squad has already surpassed Dechant's first year as coach by two victories, but a regional win over Newton and a rematch with perennial Western Athletic Conference powerhouse Great Bend would go a long way in backing up that improvement.
"Most of the focus goes to Newton, but everyone wants another shot at Great Bend," Allison Groff said. "We've come a long way as a team since then. We would love to have that second chance at them."
