Thunder clip Panthers

SENECA — Getting baserunners aboard wasn't the issue for the Concordia High School softball team. Getting them home was.
Sixth-seeded Concordia outhit third-seeded Nemaha Central 10-6, but left 10 baserunners stranded in a 5-3 loss in the opening round of the Class 3A regional tournament on Monday.
The Panthers left six baserunners aboard over the final three innings.
Concordia finishes its season at 5-14.
Nemaha Central advanced to the semifinals of the regional it was hosting, but fell 8-5 to seventh-seeded Rock Creek.
Rock Creek (6-12) upset second-seeded Riley County 4-2 in 11 innings in the first round.
Top-seeded St. Mary's (18-3) downed Hiawatha 6-1 and then shut out fourth-seeded Marysville, 4-0.
Marysville was a 7-0 winner over Sabetha in the first round.
Rock Creek and St. Mary's will meet in the championship game on Wednesday.
An unearned run in the bottom of the second inning gave Nemaha Central a 1-0 lead on Concordia.
Concordia scored two runs in the top of the third inning to go up 2-1.
Taegen Larsen doubled to lead off the inning. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and stole home.
Kendall Reynolds reached base on an error and Allison Poore singled.
Reynolds went to third on a ground ball and scored on a fly ball by Kira Kearn.
Three runs in the bottom of the third inning gave Nemaha Central the lead back at 4-2.
The Thunder made it 5-2 with a run in the fourth inning.
Concordia closed the gap to 5-3 with a run in the top of the fifth.
Larsen doubled, moved to third on a single by Reynolds and scored on a base hit by Hailey Budke.
Budke stole second, and the Panthers had runners at second and third with one out.
A pair of ground balls ended the inning.
With one out in the top of the sixth inning, Jaden Wilson reached base on an error and Maddie Blochlinger singled.
A pop fly and a strikeout ended the threat.
Poore and Kassidy Leiszler walked in the seventh inning, but Concordia was unable to come up with the big hit it needed.
Widen pitched three and a third innings in taking the loss. She gave up five runs, four earned, on six hits, struck out one and walked one.
Budke worked two and two-thirds scoreless innings. She struck out two and walked two.
Taryn Ganstrom got the win for Nemaha Central. She gave up three runs, two earned, on 10 hits and struck out two.
Taylor Korte got the save by pitching an inning and two-thirds. She struck out one and walked two.
Larsen had two hits in four at bats and scored two runs for Concordia.
Reynolds, Poore and Blochlinger had two hits each.