The Broken Bow Spirit 18U softball team is one of four teams remaining at the USA Softball of Nebraska CLASS D Fastpitch State Championship tournament (16/18U division) in Hastings.
After going 1-1 on Friday, the Bow Spirit 18U softball team fought their way through the elimination bracket on Saturday winning four games to advance.
The Spirit advanced past the Arlington Eagles and then faced the Laurel Bears 18U, which entered the tournament as the #1 seed. Broken Bow used a five run fourth inning to key a 7-3 win. Ruby Russell led the Spirit offense finishing 3 for 4 with a triple, two runs scored, and one run batted in. Lily Thornton went the distance in the circle giving up just three runs on five hits and striking out six.
Next for Broken Bow was Ponca Summer 16U. The Spirit led from start to finish scoring ten runs on twelve hits in a 10-3 win. Skylar Smith delivered one of the top performances at the plate for the Spirit. Smith hit a homerun in the third inning and finished 2 for 3 with two runs scored and three runs batted in. Alexis Pflaster, Lily Thornton, and Bailey Hawkins each had a multi-hit performance.
The Spirit concluded Saturday with a dominant 14-1 win over Crofton. Broken Bow scored six runs in their first at bat and then put the game away with seven runs in the sixth. Bow’s 14 runs came off 17 hits with every player in the lineup collecting at least one hit. Lily Thornton was 3 for 4 with one run scored and one run batted in. Thornton also went the distance in the circle allowing just one run on three hits.
Broken Bow will face Hebron in an elimination game on Sunday. It will be a rematch as the two met on day one of the tournament with Hebron winning 5-3.
In other area action from the tournament, Fearless – Holm 18U, a combination of talent throughout areas of central Nebraska including representation from Ansley, Litchfield, and Sumner, advanced past the Arlington Eagles 18U but then was knocked out of the tournament as they were edged by Wausa 9-7.
