Leopold softball team routs Advance, moves on to district final

Energized and motivated, the Leopold softball team appeared ready for playoff softball.

The Wildcats were handed their only loss of the regular season on April 8 in a 3-2 decision against host Advance, and Tuesday was their opportunity to seek retribution.

Third-seeded Leopold exploded for a combined 13 hits and eased past the second-seeded Hornets 15-1 in five innings in a Class 1 District 4 semifinal at Scott City High School.

"I've been impressed with our girls all year long. They can hit the ball," Leopold coach Keenan Kinder said. "They were seeing the ball well. They were dialed in. They've been focused for this game for a long time. ... They were hungry to play Advance. They've been talking about it since that day. The girls have worked hard from that game all the way to now to be prepared."

The Wildcats will take on top-seeded Scott City in the district championship game at 4:30 p.m. today.

"We're proud to be playing in the game against them. It's a goal," Kinder said. "We want to do well in the playoffs. Tomorrow's focus is we're going to try to play good softball, hit the ball and play good defense."

Leopold (16-1) was led by senior Ashlyn Bucher, who finished 3 for 3 at the plate with two triples and four RBIs. Bucher's two-run triple to right field with two outs in the top of the first inning gave the Wildcats an early 2-0 advantage.

Leopold senior Leah Landewee, who batted leadoff and finished 3 for 4 at the plate with a double, believes her team is solid throughout the lineup. Five Wildcats accounted for the team's seven extra-base hits.

"We're not afraid to hit, and that's a good thing. We're going to need it now," Landewee said. "It's really exciting. We lost to them earlier this season, and we wanted it back. And now we've got to keep going."

Leopold catcher Ashlyn Bucher tags out Advance runner Kendra Sokolowski at the plate during the third inning of a semifinal game of the Class 1 District 4 softball tournament Tuesday, May 5, 2015 in Scott City. (Fred Lynch)

Two errors and three base hits led to a pair of runs in the second before Leopold built an 8-0 lead with four runs in the fourth. Jessie Holweg and Landewee each singled and moved to second and third on a wild pitch. Lexi Vandeven grounded out but scored Holweg, and Bucher plated Landewee on a one-out RBI triple into left field to push the Wildcats' lead to 6-0. Brittany Garland scored Bucher on a double laced to left field, and Emily Seiler followed with another one-run double.

"Offensively, we should have moved our girls a little better, but I really don't think this was a game of errors today. I think Leopold came out on fire today," Advance coach Sarah Wilson said. "They just got us. ... Their pitcher was on target, and their batting was just phenomenal. Their bats were on fire."

Landewee got the scoring started for Leopold in the fifth with a two-run double to right-center field. Bucher scored Landewee on a one-out single before Garland and Klara Beel each hit two-run doubles to cap the Wildcats' scoring.

"She leads off. She's quick when she gets on base," Kinder said about Landewee. "She's been my leadoff all four years of high school."

Vandeven picked up the win in the circle and carried a no-hitter into the bottom of the fourth, giving up a double to Advance starter Hannah Clark. She went five innings, struck out three, walked two, scattered three hits and allowed one earned run.

"Lexi was lights out today," Kinder said. "She pitched awesome."

Leopold coach Keenan Kinder leads a cheer with his team before they bat against Advance in a semifinal game of the Class 1 District 4 softball tournament Tuesday, May 5, 2015 in Scott City. (Fred Lynch)

Advance tallied its only run of the game in the bottom of the fifth when Kendra Sokolowski hit a one-out triple and reached home on an RBI single by Haleah Wallace.

Clark was replaced for 1/3 of an inning by Sokolowski but returned to finish the game for the Hornets. She pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up 11 hits and 12 runs (11 earned) and had four strikeouts and five walks in the losing effort.

Advance concludes its season with a 17-4 mark, and Wilson said there were plenty of accomplishments.

"I'm proud of my girls. Looking at the score, you'd think that we had a lot of errors, but we didn't. We came out and held our own. They never got down on themselves, and I feel like we had a good fight until the very end," said the Hornets' first-year coach. "... I could not have asked for a better season and for better girls. It's really been a pleasure."

Leopold's next task will be to seek revenge against the team that ended its season a year ago in the state sectionals. Kinder wants his players to carry the momentum from Tuesday's game into the district championship.

"Everybody did a great job," Kinder said. "... They just keep things going. We talked about that at the beginning of the year. When we have one big inning, we just keep pounding."

Leopold 220 47 -- 15 13 2

Advance 000 01 -- 1 3 3

WP -- Lexi Vandeven. LP -- Hannah Clark. 2B -- Brittany Garland 2 (L), Leah Landewee (L), Emily Seiler (L), Klara Beel (L), Hannah Clark (A). 3B -- Ashlyn Bucher 2 (L), Kendra Sokolowski (A). Multiple hits -- Leopold: Bucher 3-3, Landewee 3-4, Garland 2-3, Beel 2-4.