By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
The Ell-Saline softball team fell 11-1 in the 1-2A state third-place game to Central Heights, wrapping up an otherwise phenomenal campaign at 24-2.
After a quiet first, the Vikings rattled off a six-run second inning and followed it up with two more in the third and three in the fourth.
The Lady Cards got one run back in their half of inning number three but it was too little too late as Central Heights took the win in shortened fashion.
While it was a tough afternoon for Ell-Saline, the team can hold their heads high about the season as a whole, which started with an undefeated regular season and ended with a deep playoff push.
“This was definitely a great season for a great group of girls,” Lady Cards head coach Kris Bell said. “We went 20-0 in the regular season, won the Heart of America league, won our regional, and took fourth at state.”
This year’s Ell-Saline team boasted seven different all-league players and should return a great deal of talent for another run in 2023.