Hawks cruise in postseason opener

Last year, Mid-Prairie softball earned a state berth after going through the No. 1 team in the state, Benton.

This year, it might not be Benton, but the Hawks will have to again defeat the top-ranked team in Class 3A, Solon, if they want to advance further in the regional playoffs.

?It?s like déjà vu all over again,? Mid-Prairie head coach Kara Beatty said. ?Last year, we were paired with the top team in the state and it happened again this year. I think we are a totally different team than what we were when the pairings came out. We can?t control what they are going to do, and our goal is to worry about what we can do.?

The Hawks moved on to the regional semifinals against Solon after cruising to a 12-0, five-inning victory over Central Lee.

Mid-Prairie got its bats going in the second inning, as a leadoff double from Taylor Kurtz led to a Hawk run.

The bats got even hotter in the third inning, as an Ali Naylor three-run homerun broke the game open for Mid-Prairie, as they scored five runs to take a 6-0 lead.

?Ali Naylor?s bat had kind of gone cold in the last couple of weeks, but she doesn?t let that affect her on defense,? Beatty said. ?She knows where everything is supposed to go, and finally, she had a breakout night at the plate. She struck out in her first at-bat, but she came into her second at-bat and hit a homerun. She has a chance to be a game changer.?

The Hawks kept the foot on the gas in the fifth inning, as an Amber Kral three-run homerun capped off a six-run frame, ending the game early.

?It was awesome,? Beatty said. ?The last couple of seasons, the girls have really played based on how well we hit the ball, but we?ve had people in and out of the lineup, injuries and people having to move around. To see everyone contribute last night was great for us.?

Kurtz, Naylor, Alex Rath and Lexi Duwa each scored two runs for Mid-Prairie in the contest, while Rath and Ashley Sojka reached base in three of four plate appearances.

Senior Taylor Kurtz pitched a five-inning shutout in the contest, giving up two hits and a walk, striking out three in the game, as she continues to work back from a midseason injury.

?She?s slowly working her way back in, and the last couple of games she?s thrown, she?s really looking like her old self,? Beatty said. ?The nice thing for her, was last night her bat was coming around. She?s hitting the ball extremely hard.?

The Hawks will travel to Solon for their regional semifinal, with first pitch coming at 7 p.m.