COTTONWOOD FALLS — For a second, Chase County coach Brian Potter thought the ball would land safely on the grass and his softball team would go to state.
The Bulldogs were down a run in the bottom of the seventh inning and had the tying run at third base when Robin Grokett lined an 0-2 pitch to straight away center field. For a moment, the ball looked like it would drop in for a single and the Bulldogs would tie the game. But gasps turned to groans for the Chase County fans when the ball landed in the center fielder’s glove for the third and final out, and the Bulldogs’ season ended with an 8-7 loss to Wabaunsee in the regional final Tuesday night at Chase County.
“I thought it was going to land,” Potter said. “I thought that was going to be the hit that got us tied up and we would have finished it, too.”
For a while it looked the Bulldogs were finished as they trailed 7-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth. But the Bulldogs rallied with five runs in their half of the fifth to turn the tide.
Brenna Riley and Anne Jirak both drove in runs on a fielder’s choice, and Heather Duncan hit an RBI single and Alissa Wells drew a walk with the bases loaded.
Wabaunsee scored another run in the sixth on two hits to take a 8-6 lead. But the Bulldogs answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning as Grokett doubled to center and eventually came around to score.
In the Chase County seventh, with one out Wells put down a bunt and advanced to third on a throwing error. Sarah Luder grounded out to the pitcher, and then Grokett came up to the plate for the final at-bat.
“I told them they played good enough to win that game,” Potter said. “Both teams deserved to win that game. It’s a game that you don’t want to see either team walk off losing, and I apologized to them. When you win games, it’s all about the kids. But when you lose a game, it’s all about the coach, and I needed to find something else there and that one was on me.”
The Bulldogs advanced to the final after defeating Lyndon 11-1 in six innings in their first game of the day. Taylor Rains got the victory and capped the opener with a grand slam in the fourth. But the Bulldogs fell one win away from advancing to the state tournament and ended the season 19-3.
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