By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
The Southeast of Saline Lady Trojan softball team continues their postseason run this evening with a rematch against the Smoky Valley Vikings at 4:30pm.
SES comes into this regional semifinal fresh off an 11-1 win over Minneapolis while Smoky Valley advanced with a 12-2 victory over Halstead.
The last time these two met, the Vikings got the better of Southeast, handing the Trojans their third loss of the season by a final score of 5-2.
“I feel like we are absolutely ready,” SES head coach Pesha Ptacek said. “The girls have wanted a rematch with Smoky Valley for awhile now. We don’t feel like we played up to our potential the last time we saw them.”
The Vikings enter this game as the three-seed in the regional tournament with an overall record of 14-7.
While the regular season loss to Smoky Valley stung Southeast, the lessons the team learned from it have strengthened the Trojans overall.
“That loss really set the tone for us to focus on learning to be flexible batters,” Ptacek said. “We needed to get used to hitting pitchers who use different speeds and styles and to adjust to what we’re being given.”
SES will once again have the services of Bryna Baird, Carly Commerford and Lexi Jacobson available for the semifinal. The trio has been lights out all season long and all three pitched in the win over Minneapolis earlier this week.
“It’s great to have the ability to throw three girls with three very different styles who all do a great job in their own right,” she said.
With a young squad still building postseason confidence, it will be crucial for the Trojans to get off to a hot start in this game, something the team has done a good job of this season.
“The first few innings will really set the tone,” Ptacek said. “I’ve been preaching to the girls all week that we need to jump out early and show exactly what we’re capable of.”
If the Southeast can battle their way past Smoky Valley, they will advance to fight for a trip to state against the winner of the other semifinal matchup between 19-2 Haven and 13-8 Hillsboro at 6pm.
For more on the SES softball team’s 2021 postseason run stay tuned to the Salina Post.