Monarchs pitch in for another state title
By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN
MANHATTAN -- They knew they would probably have to go through an undefeated team to win another state title.
So, just for good measure, the Thomas More Prep-Marian softball team beat two previously unbeaten teams Saturday.
Now, there is no doubt which team is the best in Class 3A in 2008.
The Monarchs (24-1) beat Wichita-Independent 2-0 in the 3A state championship game at Twin Oaks Sports Complex to give the school its second straight softball title.
TMP-Marian also won last year's 4A state title by beating Eudora 9-0 in the championship game. And Monarch coach Alan Billinger thought doing the same in 3A this year could be a more daunting task.
He was right, but the Monarchs were up to the challenge.
After shutting out McLouth 5-0 in the semifinals to give the Bulldogs their first loss of the season, TMP-Marian got another shutout in the title game that had a little bit of everything.
There were two interference calls involving baserunners and fielders -- both that went TMP-Marian's way, much to the chagrin of Wichita-Independent followers.
A fan in the Independent stands was ejected in the fourth inning for complaining, and just one inning later, one of the umpires also told a protesting Corey Lyon, the Panthers' head coach, to leave the game.
Discipline and patience at the plate finally won out, and it was TMP-Marian players and fans who were celebrating at the end of the day.
After catching up with the speed of junior pitcher Lezley Lawson in the semis -- Lawson had thrown a perfect game with 17 strikeouts in Friday's opener -- the Monarchs had a tough time adjusting to a slower throwing Erin Tuttle in the finals.
So while the Monarchs were able to reach base, they weren't able to score. The Panthers even had a double play in each of the first two innings.
Meanwhile, sophomore left-hander Kaylee Hoffman was doing her job, holding the Panthers at bay.
"We were ready for some speed (in the title game), and we tried to adjust but that's easier said than done," Billlinger said. "Our timing was completely off."
Then, the Panthers actually did the Monarchs a favor.
After Tuttle walked sophomore Jessa Stramel to load the bases with one out in the fourth, Lyon brought junior Cheyenne Stewart in from center field to pitch.
The harder throwing Stewart worked out of the jam and got out of the inning without giving up a run.
Then just like in the semis, the fifth inning proved to be golden for TMP-Marian.
Against McLouth, the Monarchs broke open a scoreless tie with two big runs, then added another run in the sixth and two more in the seventh.
In the finals, it was more of the same.
Stewart's pitching speed was much more to the Monarchs' liking, and it didn't take TMP-Marian long to get on the board.
Junior Heidi Fieler led off the bottom of the fifth by beating out an infield hit to shortstop, and Hoffman walked to set up an opportunity for bunt specialist senior Chelsea Fieler.
The older Fieler sister, who had four sacrifice bunts in the state tourney, sacrificed her younger sister to third and Hoffman to second.
That brought up junior Maddie Holub, who hit it hard past the shortstop into left field.
Chelsea Fieler raced home with the first score of the game, and as Hoffman left second base, Panther sophomore shortstop Haley McGregor stepped in the base path.
Hoffman had to circle completely around McGregor and eventually was thrown out at home.
But the umpires called interference on McGregor, and Hoffman's run counted, giving the Monarchs all the cushion they would need.
TMP-Marian also had several outstanding plays on defense, including two shoestring catches by junior center fielder Alicia Hammeke and a heads-up play by senior right fielder Kelsey Flax in the bottom of the third.
Independent junior Kacey Ecklund led off the inning with a shot to right field.
Flax fielded the ball and quickly threw to senior Maddy Mall at first in time for the out.
"That's what's nice about these girls," Billinger said. "They don't panic, and they just really take care of business."
"And," he added, "somebody new is always the hero for us."
Case in point. Heidi Fieler, TMP-Marian's No. 9 hitter, went 2-for-3 and scored a run to lead the Monarchs in hitting in the title game.
Hoffman (10-1) got the complete-game shutout victory for the Monarchs, giving up just three hits, walking none and striking out 11.
The Monarchs ended the season with 19 consecutive victories, with their only loss on the season coming in a doubleheader split with Class 5A state-qualifying Great Bend.
And they saved their best for last.
Holub, who struck out 21 batters in Friday's first round, added 13 more to her total in Saturday's semifinals. Hoffman's 11 strikeouts in the title game gave the Monarchs a total of 45 for the tourney.
That led TMP-Marian's defense, which allowed just one run -- unearned -- the entire state tournament.
Saturday's earlier semifinal matchup looked to be a pitchers' duel between Holub and McLouth's Lawson, who had a total of 38 strikeouts between them in Friday's opening round.
And fans weren't disappointed.
Holub and Lawson combined to fan 18 more batters in Saturday's semis, but Monarch hitters were able to figure out Lawson better than the Bulldogs were Holub.
TMP-Marian was able to get five hits off Lawson and took advantage of five McLouth errors to reach the championship game for the second straight year.
Hoffman had two hits, including a triple, and scored twice in the semis, while Chelsea Fieler had two RBIs and a sacrifice bunt.
Hammeke, who knocked in all four of the Monarchs' runs in Friday's 4-1 first-round win over Silver Lake, added a double against McLouth. For the tourney, Hammeke reached base in six of her nine trips to the plate.
Holub's 13 strikeouts in Saturday's semis gave her 34 at state in picking up two victories that completed a perfect 12-0 season. Holub finished the season with 159 strikeouts in 74 2/3 innings.
After the loss to TMP-Marian in the semis, McLouth came back to edge Riverton 1-0 in eight innings in the third-place game.
Championship game
TMP 2, Wichita-Indep. 0
TMP-Marian (24-1) 000 002 0 -- 2 5 0
Independent (25-1) 000 000 0 -- 0 2
Hoffman and Altman; Tuttle, Stewart 94) and Damiris. W -- Hoffman (10-1). L -- Stewart.
Semifinals
TMP 5, McLouth 0
TMP-Marian (23-1) 000 021 2 -- 5 5 0
McLouth (21-1) 000 000 0 -- 0 0 4
Holub and Altman; Lawson and Ke. Patterson. W -- Holub (12-0). L -- Lawson. 2B --Hammeke, H. Fieler, TMP. 3B -- Hoffman, TMP.