After a couple of rain delays hindered the Lady Knights from hosting a senior night game, only two games were slated on the week for the softball team.

Unfortunately for the Knights, those two games came in the sectional against a powerful Magnolia squad Friday evening as the two teams battled it out for the opportunity to play in the regional semi-final tomorrow.

In the first game, it looked as though it would be an evening of exciting softball as Kaitlyn Goudy and the defense played solid through two innings and kept the game scoreless.

Once the Lady Blue Eagles went through the batting order a full time, the proverbial rains came in the bottom of the third as their eyes developed and were able to make contact with the ball.

There wasn’t much the defense could do as the ball seemed to be magnetized to the gaps. After the damage was done, Magnolia was up 7-0. Two more runs in the fourth inning deflated any momentum that Tyler Consolidated had.

The Silver Knights were finally able to generate some offense in the sixth inning as Christy Jones reached on a double to start off the frame. A few batters later, the bases were loaded and had Jones on third and Goudy due up.

Goudy proceeded to work the count on Magnolia pitcher Tory Greene. It would pay off as she received a base on balls and an RBI as it allowed Jones to score.

Magnolia defense stiffened up and wouldn’t allow another run to the Silver Knights. In the bottom half of the inning, the Eagles would equal out the run with one of their own to set up the final score at 10-1.

Jones finished 2-4 with a single and a double while scoring the teams only run. Sarah McMullen went 2-2 on a pair of singles and Kim Headley went 1-3 with a single.

Goudy pitched five innings and recorded three strikeouts. Lauren Kennedy took over in the sixth giving up two hits.

In order to keep their season alive, the Lady Knights would have to defeat the Eagles to force a rubber match on Saturday in the double-elimination tournament.

This time the Lady Knights were designated as the home team.

In the early goings of the game, it appeared as though this game would also be exciting, going scoreless for three innings.

Then the game started appearing eerily similar to the first. Instead of the third inning, it would be the fourth that Magnolia scored runs in bulk. This time nine would cross the plate before a pitching change was made in hopes of stopping the bleeding.

From there on out, the Blue Eagles would score one more run in the top of the sixth to put the score at 10-0. Magnolia’s defensive nine would hold the Lady Knights to one hit and shut them out for a six-inning mercy rule final and the sectional championship. Magnolia now advances to the regional semi-final to be played on Thursday at Tyler Consolidated.

“Once they see a pitcher through one round of batters, that tends to be when we get tagged,” said Coach Galluzzo.”

The Lady Knights lone hit came at the bat of Christy Jones in the fifth inning. Goudy punched four batters while Linda Bassett sat down three.

The loss marked the end of nine players’ high school softball careers. Those players include Linda Bassett, Linda Buck, Kim Headley, Kim Kimble, Sarah McMullen, Rachel Moore, Cailin Prunty, Tonya Riffle and Hannah Thomas. Between them, they have earned a total of 24 letters. They will also go out as the class that earned the school’s and Coach Galluzzo’s 100th victory.

“This was a good year,” said Galluzzo recapping the season.

“This was the most wins we’ve had in a long time. This group of kids battled all year and played some tough teams tough.”

“This is probably the best senior leadership group I’ve had in terms of they made the team a family and supported the younger kids. They took time to teach. They’re going to be hard to replace. Like one of the underclassmen said, we have big shoes to fill, and that’s probably the best quote they could possibly make.”