By Brian McKim
The Falls City softball team headed to Auburn on Saturday to participate in the Auburn Softball Tournament at the Auburn Sports Complex. Falls City took down Syracuse 17-3 in the opener, advancing to the semifinals to face Blair. The Tigers struggled to get going on offense against the Bears, falling 10-0. In the day’s final contest, FC dropped its second straight game, falling to Southern/Diller-Odell 5-3.
In the day’s opener, FC led 3-1 after one inning. Syracuse tied the game up in the top of the second, then the Tiger bats went wild, scoring 14 runs to secure the 17-3 win after 2 1/2 innings. Madi Jones went 3-3 at the plate with a double, a home run and four RBI. Elyse Poppe was 2-2 with a walk, a home run and four RBI. Emilou Schulenberg went 2-3 at the plate with a triple and two RBI. Poppe pitched two innings, allowing three runs on seven hits.
With the win, Falls City moved into the semifinals to face the 12-3 Blair Bears. The Bears entered the tournament as the third-ranked team in Class B, trailing only Wahoo and Beatrice.
Blair jumped out quickly, leading FC 6-0 after one inning. The score remained that way until the Bears scored four more runs in the bottom of the fourth to earn the 10-0 win over the Tigers. Blair outhit Falls City 8-4 in the contest.
Schulenberg was perfect at the plate, going 2-2 with a double. Kacy Brewer and Poppe each went 1-2 with singles. Brewer took the loss for FC, giving up eight hits and ten runs over four innings.
In the day’s final game, Falls City went up against Southern/Diller-Odell. FC outplayed Southern/Diller-Odell for much of the game, outhitting their opponent 7-5 and committing fewer errors than their foe.
FC jumped out first, leading 1-0 after two innings and 3-0 after the third. Southern/Diller-Odell then struck for four big runs in the bottom of the fourth and one more in the fifth to earn the 5-3 win over Falls City.
Jones had the hot bat at the plate for FC, finishing 3-4 with a double. Hannah Collier finished the contest 2-4 with a single, a triple and one run scored. Emily Vitosh added a single, going 1-3 at the plate for the Lady Tigers. Schulenberg had the lone RBI for the Tigers. Brewer took the loss for Falls City, tossing six innings, allowing five hits and five runs.
Falls City played at Mid-Buchanan on Tuesday, September 6 and will host the 2022 Falls City Softball Tournament on Saturday, September 10, 2022. The Tigers will open the tourney against Syracuse on Saturday at 9:00 a.m. on Hartman Field. With a win, FC will face the winner of Freeman/Wilber Clatonia at 10:45 a.m. on Hartman Field. The championship will be played at 12:45 p.m. on Hartman Field. The top side of the bracket has Nebraska City versus Auburn on Morehead Field at 9:00 a.m. and North Andrew, Mo vs. Southern/Diller-Odell on F&M Field at 9:00 a.m.
