Monticello makes first state trip

 FARLEY -- An error had given Monticello the lead, and it was starting to look as if an error was going to give it away.Forget that, thought Erin Hosch."It was a complete focus thing," she said. "It's my senior year, and I wasn't going to let a stinkin' error beat us."I was going to concentrate and do what I've done, over and over."Hosch worked out of a sixth-inning jam, and the ninth-ranked Panthers edged Center Point-Urbana, 2-1, in a Class 3A softball regional final Monday night at Farley City Park.The Panthers (31-6) advance to the state tournament -- next week at the Rogers Sports Complex near Fort Dodge -- for the first time. They will face No. 5 Bondurant-Farrar (27-12) at 7:30 p.m. next Monday."I'm just so happy," said Monticello Coach Tiffany Rave. "This group of seniors, they've gotten close the last couple years ... they've been working for this since they were little kids."Monticello scored the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth, with the help of two errors. After Paxtyn Keleher reached with two outs, Hosch laced a single to left field that took a tough hop past Rachel Liercke. Keleher came all the way around to score to put the Panthers in front."Coach said just go up there, and if there was one right there in the zone, to let it go," Hosch said. "Just like batting practice."It appeared the Panthers were going to cough the lead right back up. Brittany Buelow's single and an error put runners at second and third with one out in the bottom of the sixth.Then, Hosch dug deep.She got Miranda Kapfer to pop out, then struck out Samantha Croghan to end the threat.The seventh inning was easier: 1-2-3.Center Point-Urbana (26-15) struck first with an unearned run in the bottom of the second. A leadoff error eventually scored on Croghan's single.The Panthers recorded the game only earned run in the fourth. Allison Kraus led off with a single, moved to second on Kori Bohlken's sacrifice bunt, advanced to third on Keleher's infield hit, then tallied on Hosch's groundout to shortstop.CPU's Keely Kinsella led off the fifth with a double, but was thrown out trying to stretch her fly ball to left field into a triple. The next batter, Shannon Stone, singled.The Stormin' Pointers made some youthful mistakes. They're where Monticello was last year -- disappointed, for now."We still have some chinks in our armor," said first-year coach John Olachnovitch. "We're going to pick up next year where we left off."We're not going to knock on the door next year. We're going to kick it down and get to state."This year, it's Monticello's turn. The door is down, and the Panthers have barged their way to Fort Dodge."They're a determined group," Rave said. "They got behind, but they found a way to get it done."The lone CPU senior, Stone had two of her team's six hits.  

Erin Hosch and Lael Lubben. Samantha Croghan and Elizabeth Hearn. W -- Hosch (23-5). L -- Croghan (17-6). 

3A Regional Final

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