LARAMIE — The 4A South Regional Softball Tournament came to a close Saturday with heartbreak for Green River and mixed emotions for Rock Springs, as both Sweetwater County teams battled for a spot at next week’s state tournament.
Green River saw its season end in a 9-1 loss to Cheyenne Central in an elimination matchup, while Rock Springs clinched a state berth with a 15-13 win over Wheatland and finished fourth in the region after falling to Cheyenne Central in the third-place game.
Lady Wolves’ Season Ends Against Cheyenne Central
Green River’s postseason run came to an end Saturday morning as Cheyenne Central jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in a 9-1 victory.
The Indians plated three runs in the first inning, sparked by a Maddie Birt RBI single and a two-run home run to left field by Porcha Kammerman. Central padded the lead with runs in the third and fifth innings, including a solo home run by Izzy Thomas.
Green River struggled to generate offense against Central starter Addison Acton, who struck out eight over seven innings while allowing just one run and five hits.
Senior Ally White led the Wolves at the plate, going 2-for-2. Jocelyn Shantz drove in Green River’s lone run with a base hit.
Haidyn Terry pitched all six innings for Green River, giving up nine runs—seven of them earned—on 10 hits while the senior struck out three.
Kodi Allred finished off her fantastic regional performance going 11-for-12 at the plate across the three games after getting a hit on her first 10 at-bats before her streak and high school softball career came to an end.
With the loss, the Lady Wolves were eliminated from the tournament and finished their season just shy of a state bid.
Rock Springs High School sports coverage is brought to you by these amazing sponsors:
Lady Tigers Advance with Gritty Win Over Wheatland
Needing a win to reach state, Rock Springs found it in a wild, high-scoring affair against Wheatland. The Lady Tigers outlasted the Bulldogs 15-13 in a back-and-forth contest.
Senior Hadlee Miller delivered a standout performance, collecting three hits and driving in five runs, including a three-run double in the fifth that proved to be the difference.
The Lady Tigers totaled 18 hits in the game, including three each from Miller and Makyla Sweeney. Rock Springs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, added two more in the second, then exploded for five in both the fourth and fifth innings.
Wheatland answered with five runs in both the third and sixth innings, including a three-run home run by Adams, but the Tigers held on with help from strong offensive efforts by Ruby Florencio, Kyndall Turnwall, Tarin Anderson, and Rachael Wallendorff, who all had multiple hits.
Florencio started in the circle and pitched four innings before handing the ball to Rilynn Wester in relief.
The win sent Rock Springs to the third-place game and guaranteed the Lady Tigers a spot at state.
Rock Springs Falls in Battle for Third
In their second game of the day, the Lady Tigers battled with Cheyenne Central for the third seed out of the 4A South. Despite three hits from Florencio and a sixth-inning rally that tied the game at 7-7, Rock Springs fell 11-7.
Central scored three in the first, added runs in the second and third, then broke the tie with a four-run seventh inning. Maddie Birt went 4-for-5 to lead the Indians, while Jayla Erickson and Izzy Kelly also came through in the final frame.
Florencio, who had driven in two runs in the comeback, took the loss after pitching the final two innings. Wester pitched five innings in relief prior, striking out five.
Despite the loss, Rock Springs secured the No. 4 seed for the state tournament. They will face Campbell County in the opening round on Thursday at 4 p.m. in Cheyenne.
