Skip to main contentSkip to main content

You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close

JournalStar.com

27°

Read Today's E-edition

Site Search

© 2026 Lee Enterprises

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy

Site Search

JournalStar.com

News+

Where your story lives

Site Search

A Lee Enterprises, Incorporated newspaper. Majority shareholder: David Hoffmann, Hoffmann Media Group.

Subscribe

Read Today's E-edition

JournalStar.com

News+

Where your story lives

Subscribe

Share This

Class A state softball: Lincoln Southwest into elimination round after loss to Elkhorn South

0 Comments

Share this

A Lee Enterprises, Incorporated newspaper. Majority shareholder: David Hoffmann, Hoffmann Media Group.

Class A state softball: Lincoln Southwest into elimination round after loss to Elkhorn South

×

The E-edition is available to you every morning, and is updated throughout the day

Prefer us on Google Learn More

HASTINGS — Millard North and Elkhorn South are one win away from a rematch of the Metro Conference softball tournament title game after posting impressive victories Friday in the second round of the Class A state softball tournament.

The No. 1-ranked Mustangs broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning on the way to a 9-1, 6-inning victory over Millard West.

Elkhorn South also used a big inning to earn a 6-4 victory over defending Class A champion Lincoln Southwest. The third-ranked Storm scored all of their runs in the fifth inning as Paityn Spencer’s 2-run home run ignited the 6-run rally.

Both games started Thursday afternoon but were suspended until late Friday morning because of heavy rains that drenched the fields at the Smith Softball Complex over a 15-hour period that began late Wednesday evening.

Once the Millard battle resumed with two Mustangs on base after being hit by a pitch Thursday, Jadyn Pokorny laced a single to right field, scoring Closman.

Alex Ballard then became the third Millard North batter to be hit by a pitch to load the bases. But after Garcia got a strikeout and ground out to third base, the damage was limited to that single run.

The Wildcats tied the score in the top of the fourth when right fielder Callen Ahrens hit a 0-1 offering from Severson over the right field fence for her fourth home run of the season.

Millard North bounced back in the bottom of the fourth to retake the lead. The rally began with back-to-back, 1-out singles by Lynley Paulson and Mallory Closman. Both runners then advanced one base on a passed ball.

Paulson scored on an infield groundout by Tenley Kampbell to give the Mustangs a lead they would not surrender. Left fielder Abby Beard then stepped in to belt a 2-run home run to right field and give Millard North a 4-1 lead.

Millard North coach Travis Unzicker said rejoined the team just over two weeks before the start of the postseason. Unzicker said once Beard and the other hitters in the Mustangs lineup had a chance to size up Wildcats starter London Garcia the first time through the order.

“London threw pretty well to start and was keeping us off-balance,” Unzicker said. “But we just kept telling them, once we figured out what she was doing, we were able to key in on some of what her pitches were early in the count.”

The Mustangs indeed shifted their offense into a higher gear to score five runs in the bottom of the sixth to end the game one inning early.

Nijah Tvrdy-Chumley opened the frame by reaching first on an error by Wildcats shortstop Logan Urban. A single by Paulson and a walk to Closman loaded the bases for Kampbell, who stroked a single to left field that drive in Tvrdy-Chumley and Paulson to up Millard North’s lead to 6-1.

After a pitching change, Beard was walked to load the bases before Closman scored on a passed ball. The Mustangs then ended the game when Pokorny drove in Kampbell and Reese Tate, the pinch-runner for Beard, with the eighth and ninth runs.

Unzicker is happy with the way the Mustangs have adjusted to the colder weather conditions they didn’t have to play through during the regular season.

“It was 30 degrees when we came out here this morning,” Unzicker said. “So we just do what we do. We told them not to let that affect our mental mindset and to be ready to go.”

That was the same approach Elkhorn South used for its late morning battle with Southwest. The Storm arrived for the game down 1-0 after the Silver Hawks scored one run Thursday before the game was suspended until Friday morning.

Storm coach Elliot Haack said his charges were able to keep their focus both overnight and as the game unfolded in the early innings and Elkhorn South fell behind 3-0.

“We just told them that they were taking good at-bats,” Haack said. “We were putting the ball in play and we were finding the holes, which we did in the big inning. We kept hitting hard on the ground with the wind blowing in.”

One of the Storm’s seven hits wasn’t adversely affected by the strong winds that were gusting nearly 30 mph. That was the home run to right field by Spencer that kicked off the pivotal fifth inning.

“Paityn hit a shot and that was our defibrillator that woke us up right there,” Haack said. “That was a big-time jolt for our energy.”

That blast cut Southwest’s lead to 3-2. After one out, it was three singles, an error and a pair fielder’s choice at-bats that helped the Storm take and expand the lead to 6-3.

A fielder’s choice groundout to third base by Hayden Peters scored Saoirse Park to tie the game 3-3. Another infield groundout, this one by Isabelle Jackson, got Dylan Caniglia home and gave the Storm a lead they wouldn’t surrender.

Hannah Vermeer’s ground ball single scored Macy Schneider for the 5-3 lead before Hayden Peters scored the final run on a wild pitch.

Southwest coach Mitch Ohnoutka said he’s confident the Silver Hawks can work their way back through the elimination bracket to challenge for a chance to play Saturday.

“I just told the girls sometimes those mistakes can snowball,” Ohnoutka said. “In a tournament like this, sometimes things snowball against you. Sometimes you’re on the wrong side. We did not play our solid defense that we normally do. I think if we make a couple of those plays, the game’s going to be 3-2 or 4-3 our way.”

Elkhorn North and Omaha Westview were the first two teams eliminated from the tournament. Papillion-La Vista defeated Elkhorn North 10-2 and Lincoln East beat Westview 10-8.

People are also reading…

0 Comments

Love

0

Funny

0

Wow

0

Sad

0

Angry

0

Locations

Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter

Sent weekly directly to your inbox!

Sign up!

* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.

Related to this story

Watch our easy guide to using the E-edition

The E-edition is available to you every morning, and is updated throughout the day

Watch Now: Related Video

Nebraska's Dani Busboom Kelly after sweeping Illinois

Creighton, Nebraska face early tests as seasons heat up | Half-Court Press

Creighton, Nebraska face early tests as seasons heat up | Half-Court Press

Tom Shatel's Press Box | Nebraska has a bigger problem than Dana Holgorsen

Tom Shatel's Press Box | Nebraska has a bigger problem than Dana Holgorsen

Mauricio Pochettino - Career in Numbers with the Argentine set to be appointed as Manchester United head coach.

Mauricio Pochettino - Career in Numbers with the Argentine set to be appointed as Manchester United head coach.

×

JournalStar.com

Prefer us on Google Learn More

Sites & Partners

Services

© Copyright 2026 The Lincoln Journal Star, PO Box 81609 Lincoln, NE 68501

A Lee Enterprises, Incorporated newspaper. Majority shareholder: David Hoffmann, Hoffmann Media Group.

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Advertising Terms of Use | Privacy Choices | Cookie Preferences

Powered by BLOX Content Management System from bloxdigital.com.

{{title}}

{{summary}}

You don't have any notifications.

Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.

Topics

News Alerts

Subscribe

Breaking News

Subscribe

Husker News

Subscribe

VisaMastercardAmerican ExpressDiscoverJCBDiners ClubCredit CardCredit Card

Back ×

Offer

Sorry, an error occurred.

Already Subscribed!

Get StartedManage Service

Cancel anytime

You are logged in

 Switch accounts

Secure transaction. Cancel anytime. Have an account? Log In

Back ×

Sign Up

Account processing issue - the email address may already exist

User information

Username (Optional)

This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely!

* First name

* Last name

* Email Address

Your email address will be used to confirm your account. We won't share it with anyone else.

* Password

Must be at least 8 characters, not contain repeating characters (e.g., 111), and not contain sequential numbers (e.g., 123).

Create a password that only you will remember. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address.

* Confirm Password

Confirm your password.

CAPTCHA

Create Account

or

Sign up with

Facebook Google

Have an account? Log In

×

You're all set!

Thank you .

Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.

Check your email for details.

OK

Back ×

Log In

Invalid password or account does not exist

Email Address

Password

Remember me

Forgot your password?

Log In

Email me a log in link

or

Sign in with

Facebook Google

Admin login Subscribe

Need an account? Sign Up

Back ×

Reset Password

Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.

Email or Screen Name

CAPTCHA

Reset Password

×

Forgot Password

An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.

Back ×

Email me a log in link

Account Email

CAPTCHA

Send Email

Back ×

Promotional Offers

Promo code

Enter Promo Code

Redeem

No promotional rates found.

Back ×

Purchase Gift Purchase Access

See More Offers

details close

×

An error occurred

×

Secure & Encrypted

Sign in with

Email Address

Continue with Email Address

or

Continue with Facebook Continue with Google

What's your email address?

Email

Password

Confirm password

Must be at least 8 characters, not contain repeating characters (e.g., 111), and not contain sequential numbers (e.g., 123).

What's your name?

First name

Last name

Who is this gift for?

Recipient name

Recipient email

Optional message for the recipient

Who is this gift from?

Purchaser name

Purchaser email

Purchaser zip code

Delivery date

Delivery date

What's your billing location?

Address

City

State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces PacificArmed Forces EuropeNorthern Mariana IslandsMarshall IslandsAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamPalauAlberta, CanadaBritish Columbia, CanadaManitoba, CanadaNew Brunswick, CanadaNewfoundland, CanadaNova Scotia, CanadaNorthwest Territories, CanadaNunavut, CanadaOntario, CanadaPrince Edward Island, CanadaQuebec, CanadaSaskatchewan, CanadaYukon Territory, Canada

Zip Code

Country United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People's Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People's Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth ofAustria, Republic ofAzerbaijan, Republic ofBahrain, Kingdom ofBangladesh, People's Republic ofBarbadosBelarusBelgium, Kingdom ofBelizeBenin, People's Republic ofBermudaBhutan, Kingdom ofBolivia, Republic ofBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana, Republic ofBouvet Island (Bouvetoya)Brazil, Federative Republic ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)British Virgin IslandsBrunei DarussalamBulgaria, People's Republic ofBurkina FasoBurundi, Republic ofCambodia, Kingdom ofCameroon, United Republic ofCape Verde, Republic ofCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChad, Republic ofChile, Republic ofChina, People's Republic ofChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombia, Republic ofComoros, Union of theCongo, Democratic Republic ofCongo, People's Republic ofCook IslandsCosta Rica, Republic ofCote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of theCyprus, Republic ofCzech RepublicDenmark, Kingdom ofDjibouti, Republic ofDominica, Commonwealth ofEcuador, Republic ofEgypt, Arab Republic ofEl Salvador, Republic ofEquatorial Guinea, Republic ofEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Fiji, Republic of the Fiji IslandsFinland, Republic ofFrance, French RepublicFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabon, Gabonese RepublicGambia, Republic of theGeorgiaGermanyGhana, Republic ofGibraltarGreece, Hellenic RepublicGreenlandGrenadaGuadaloupeGuamGuatemala, Republic ofGuinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c ofGuinea-Bissau, Republic ofGuyana, Republic ofHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)Honduras, Republic ofHong Kong, Special Administrative Region of ChinaHrvatska (Croatia)Hungary, Hungarian People's RepublicIceland, Republic ofIndia, Republic ofIndonesia, Republic ofIran, Islamic Republic ofIraq, Republic ofIrelandIsrael, State ofItaly, Italian RepublicJapanJordan, Hashemite Kingdom ofKazakhstan, Republic ofKenya, Republic ofKiribati, Republic ofKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwait, State ofKyrgyz RepublicLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanon, Lebanese RepublicLesotho, Kingdom ofLiberia, Republic ofLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtenstein, Principality ofLithuaniaLuxembourg, Grand Duchy ofMacao, Special Administrative Region of ChinaMacedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascar, Republic ofMalawi, Republic ofMalaysiaMaldives, Republic ofMali, Republic ofMalta, Republic ofMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritania, Islamic Republic ofMauritiusMayotteMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonaco, Principality ofMongolia, Mongolian People's RepublicMontserratMorocco, Kingdom ofMozambique, People's Republic ofMyanmarNamibiaNauru, Republic ofNepal, Kingdom ofNetherlands AntillesNetherlands, Kingdom of theNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaragua, Republic ofNiger, Republic of theNigeria, Federal Republic ofNiue, Republic ofNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorway, Kingdom ofOman, Sultanate ofPakistan, Islamic Republic ofPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanama, Republic ofPapua New GuineaParaguay, Republic ofPeru, Republic ofPhilippines, Republic of thePitcairn IslandPoland, Polish People's RepublicPortugal, Portuguese RepublicPuerto RicoQatar, State ofReunionRomania, Socialist Republic ofRussian FederationRwanda, Rwandese RepublicSamoa, Independent State ofSan Marino, Republic ofSao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic ofSaudi Arabia, Kingdom ofSenegal, Republic ofSerbia and MontenegroSeychelles, Republic ofSierra Leone, Republic ofSingapore, Republic ofSlovakia (Slovak Republic)SloveniaSolomon IslandsSomalia, Somali RepublicSouth Africa, Republic ofSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpain, Spanish StateSri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic ofSt. HelenaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSudan, Democratic Republic of theSuriname, Republic ofSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwaziland, Kingdom ofSweden, Kingdom ofSwitzerland, Swiss ConfederationSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailand, Kingdom ofTimor-Leste, Democratic Republic ofTogo, Togolese RepublicTokelau (Tokelau Islands)Tonga, Kingdom ofTrinidad and Tobago, Republic ofTunisia, Republic ofTurkey, Republic ofTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUganda, Republic ofUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain & N. IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe

What's your delivery address?

Copy billing location

Address

City

State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces PacificArmed Forces EuropeNorthern Mariana IslandsMarshall IslandsAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamPalauAlberta, CanadaBritish Columbia, CanadaManitoba, CanadaNew Brunswick, CanadaNewfoundland, CanadaNova Scotia, CanadaNorthwest Territories, CanadaNunavut, CanadaOntario, CanadaPrince Edward Island, CanadaQuebec, CanadaSaskatchewan, CanadaYukon Territory, Canada

Zip code

Country

United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People's Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People's Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth ofAustria, Republic ofAzerbaijan, Republic ofBahrain, Kingdom ofBangladesh, People's Republic ofBarbadosBelarusBelgium, Kingdom ofBelizeBenin, People's Republic ofBermudaBhutan, Kingdom ofBolivia, Republic ofBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana, Republic ofBouvet Island (Bouvetoya)Brazil, Federative Republic ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)British Virgin IslandsBrunei DarussalamBulgaria, People's Republic ofBurkina FasoBurundi, Republic ofCambodia, Kingdom ofCameroon, United Republic ofCape Verde, Republic ofCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChad, Republic ofChile, Republic ofChina, People's Republic ofChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombia, Republic ofComoros, Union of theCongo, Democratic Republic ofCongo, People's Republic ofCook IslandsCosta Rica, Republic ofCote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of theCyprus, Republic ofCzech RepublicDenmark, Kingdom ofDjibouti, Republic ofDominica, Commonwealth ofEcuador, Republic ofEgypt, Arab Republic ofEl Salvador, Republic ofEquatorial Guinea, Republic ofEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Fiji, Republic of the Fiji IslandsFinland, Republic ofFrance, French RepublicFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabon, Gabonese RepublicGambia, Republic of theGeorgiaGermanyGhana, Republic ofGibraltarGreece, Hellenic RepublicGreenlandGrenadaGuadaloupeGuamGuatemala, Republic ofGuinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c ofGuinea-Bissau, Republic ofGuyana, Republic ofHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)Honduras, Republic ofHong Kong, Special Administrative Region of ChinaHrvatska (Croatia)Hungary, Hungarian People's RepublicIceland, Republic ofIndia, Republic ofIndonesia, Republic ofIran, Islamic Republic ofIraq, Republic ofIrelandIsrael, State ofItaly, Italian RepublicJapanJordan, Hashemite Kingdom ofKazakhstan, Republic ofKenya, Republic ofKiribati, Republic ofKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwait, State ofKyrgyz RepublicLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanon, Lebanese RepublicLesotho, Kingdom ofLiberia, Republic ofLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtenstein, Principality ofLithuaniaLuxembourg, Grand Duchy ofMacao, Special Administrative Region of ChinaMacedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascar, Republic ofMalawi, Republic ofMalaysiaMaldives, Republic ofMali, Republic ofMalta, Republic ofMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritania, Islamic Republic ofMauritiusMayotteMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonaco, Principality ofMongolia, Mongolian People's RepublicMontserratMorocco, Kingdom ofMozambique, People's Republic ofMyanmarNamibiaNauru, Republic ofNepal, Kingdom ofNetherlands AntillesNetherlands, Kingdom of theNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaragua, Republic ofNiger, Republic of theNigeria, Federal Republic ofNiue, Republic ofNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorway, Kingdom ofOman, Sultanate ofPakistan, Islamic Republic ofPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanama, Republic ofPapua New GuineaParaguay, Republic ofPeru, Republic ofPhilippines, Republic of thePitcairn IslandPoland, Polish People's RepublicPortugal, Portuguese RepublicPuerto RicoQatar, State ofReunionRomania, Socialist Republic ofRussian FederationRwanda, Rwandese RepublicSamoa, Independent State ofSan Marino, Republic ofSao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic ofSaudi Arabia, Kingdom ofSenegal, Republic ofSerbia and MontenegroSeychelles, Republic ofSierra Leone, Republic ofSingapore, Republic ofSlovakia (Slovak Republic)SloveniaSolomon IslandsSomalia, Somali RepublicSouth Africa, Republic ofSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpain, Spanish StateSri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic ofSt. HelenaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSudan, Democratic Republic of theSuriname, Republic ofSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwaziland, Kingdom ofSweden, Kingdom ofSwitzerland, Swiss ConfederationSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailand, Kingdom ofTimor-Leste, Democratic Republic ofTogo, Togolese RepublicTokelau (Tokelau Islands)Tonga, Kingdom ofTrinidad and Tobago, Republic ofTunisia, Republic ofTurkey, Republic ofTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUganda, Republic ofUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain & N. IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe

Phone

Purchase detail

Subtotal:

Total:

How would you like to pay?

Ending in

Add New Card

American Express Discover Mastercard Visa JCB Diners Club Credit Card Credit Card

Terms of service confirmation

I Agree to the Subscription Terms of Use.
This service will be automatically renewed and your credit card billed once it nears expiration.

Secure transaction. Secure transaction. Cancel anytime.

×

You're all set!

Thank you.

Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.

Rate: Begins: Transaction ID:

A receipt was sent to your email.

OK

×

An error occurred

This offer is currently unavailable.

Close

Search AI Answers