LINCOLN — If Thursday’s showdown between No. 1 Millard North and No. 2 Lincoln Southwest proves to be a prelude to a Class A championship rematch, prepare for another thriller.
After taking leads of 4-0 and 6-3, the Mustangs survived a seventh-inning Silver Hawk rally that forced extras. Millard North got its international tiebreaker runner home in the top of the eighth to take a 7-6 lead for the final margin as senior ace Jayda Juarez extinguished any hopes for another rally with a groundout and two strikeouts in the bottom of the inning.
It was a situation the Mustangs have found themselves in before — their opponent coming back after building an early lead — more times than they care to recall in the last week. The silver lining is that finding a way to win could pay dividends when the state tournament begins Oct. 15.
“Any time you can get a win against a top team like Southwest we’ll take it,” Mustang coach Travis Unzicker said. “But there are a lot of things we have to clean up. We can’t get up 4-0 and give them three right back.
“We have to be able to do that and get them out without cutting into the lead.”
Abby Beard started the scoring in the third inning with a two-run single.
Millard North then loaded the bases courtesy of two hit batters before Juarez, who started the game at second base, hit a pitch up the middle that shortstop Brenly Noerrlinger wasn’t able to field cleanly. That bobble brought home two more runs for a 4-0 advantage.
But two singles and a double to lead off the bottom of the third helped Southwest get three right back. Morgan Gabel, Maisey McCarty and Ashley Jucht all had RBIs for the 25-3 Silver Hawks.
Millard North (28-4) built its lead back to three in the fourth inning with a two-run homer by Macey Jarose to right-center. Southwest scored once in the bottom of the frame, what proved to be the final run until the seventh inning.
That’s when a two-run homer by Taylor Siefken tied the game 6-6. Southwest had the chance to win in regulation, but stranded two runners thanks to a gritty effort from Juarez.
Silver Hawk coach Mitch Ohnoutka was proud of the way his team came back multiple times Thursday.
“Down four to one of the best teams in the state isn’t an easy spot to be in,” Ohnoutka said. “We came back with some good at-bats and some line drives that went right to their fielders.
“Maisey struggled there for a couple of innings but a lot of times we forget that she’s a sophomore. She battled back, got some big outs and had a big hit for us as well.”
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