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Bay Tosses No-Hitter, Lady Broncos Roll

Russell/Victoria senior Kendra Bay. (Photo courtesy Jason Drake)
Russell/Victoria senior Kendra Bay. (Photo courtesy Jason Drake)

LARNED-Entering their Class 3A Regional opener Monday evening, the Russell-Victoria Lady Bronco Softball team wasted little time enjoying their status as the #1 seed and quickly took care of business.

Kendra Bay (7-2) missed a three-inning perfect game with a two-out walk but still held Larned hitless and she received plenty of support including from her own bat as Russell-Victoria cruised to a 17-0 victory at Ralph Terry Field.

After Bay retired the Lady Indians in order in the top of the first inning, the Lady Broncos exploded for 11 runs in the bottom of the frame with Bay driving in two of the tallies.  The Lady Broncos then touched up Larned's Aspyn Whittington for six more runs in the second inning to put the game away.

After walking Annie Cox with two out in the top of the third inning to lose the perfect game, Bay retired Whittington on a ground ball to end the game after 43 minutes due to the run rule and give the Lady Broncos their first postseason victory since 2017.

Bay was so dominant that not a single ball off a Larned bat made it out of the infield.  Three batters were struck out, two fouled out and three others grounded out back to her.

Russell-Victoria (16-5) will take on Ellsworth in Wednesday's first semifinal.  The Lady Bearcats put an end to the season for Sylvan-Lucas-Lincoln in a 10-1 decision earlier Monday.  The Lady Mustangs concluded one of their better seasons in recent years with a 13-8 record.  

Russell-Victoria swept Ellsworth in a doubleheader at Memorial Park last month that took three weeks to finish when the second game was suspended by lightning and was completed 20 days after it began.

In Monday's other games, Hoisington-Central Plains blasted Plainville-Stockton 15-0 while Beloit downed TMP-Marian/LaCrosse 7-1.  Hoisington-Central Plains and Beloit will meet at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in the second semifinal.

Russell-Victoria and Ellsworth will play at 2 p.m. Wednesday.  The winners of the two semifinals will meet for the Reigonal Championship later Wednesday with a berth in the Class 3A State Tournament at stake.

The Lady Bronco game with Ellsworth and the title game if they advance to it will be broadcast live on KRSL 95.9 FM and streamed on krsl.com 

Class 3A Regional Softball Bracket