Lisbon reaches the brink of a 4th straight state softball tournament

LISBON — Ryleigh Allgood pitched a spiffy two-hit shutout, but she didn’t do it alone.

She got a little help from her rosin bag, a lot of help from her defense.

Fourth-ranked Lisbon pulled off a crucial, unorthodox double play in the first inning, and center fielder Paige Roos made two key grabs in the Lions’ 3-0 Class 1A softball regional-semifinal victory over Central City on Saturday at Bunting Field.

“The team is behind me every night, but they were definitely behind me today,” Allgood said. “I count on them to back me up. They make me look good.”

Lisbon (34-8) is a win away from its fourth consecutive state-tournament appearance. The Lions will host No. 15 Winfield-Mount Union (18-5) or Highland (22-6) in a regional final Tuesday.

W-MU and Highland conclude their regional final Monday. That one, suspended Friday and postponed Saturday, is scoreless in the sixth inning.

Central City (33-10) entered the game with a 22-game winning streak — “That’s a heck of a ballclub,” Lisbon Coach Bob Bunting said. “I can’t believe they’re not ranked.”

The Wildcats had one good shot at scoring, and it came immediately.

A single by Bailie Weber, a walk by Sarah Ashley and a sacrifice bunt by Natalie Noonan put runners at second and third with one out.

Up stepped Sara Reid, the 1A state leader in RBIs, with 58.

Reid hit a looper behind Allgood, in the middle of the infield. Allgood got a glove on it. So did shortstop Peyton Robinson. Then second baseman Mya Petersen caught it and alertly threw it to third base to double up Weber.

Score it F-1-6-4-5. Mark it down as huge.

“A double assist like that, I’ve never seen that,” said Bunting, who has seen just about everything in 52 years. “If we don’t make that play, they might score two and we’re down 2-0.”

Instead, it remained scoreless until Lisbon broke through in the bottom of the third.

Robinson led off with a sharp single off the glove of Reid — the Wildcats’ pitcher — then advanced on Stacia Hall’s sacrifice bunt and Petersen’s groundout. Robinson scored on a wild pitch for a 1-0 Lisbon advantage.

Much of the rest of the game was a defensive highlight reel, and two of the gems came from Roos.

The first one came in the second inning when she ranged back to rob an extra-base hit. Then she did it again, going back even further, in the fifth.

“I just wanted to catch them for my team,” Roos said. “I do whatever I can for them, and today, I had the opportunities.

“The second one was further back. I was worried about the fence, but I heard (right fielder) Kali (Nelson) yelling that I had room.”

Roos then provided the clutch hit of the game, a two-run double in the sixth that gave the Lions breathing room at 3-0.

Pitching in a steady drizzle throughout, Allgood struck out six and walked three.

“It was difficult,” she said. “I used the rosin bag a lot, and it helped.”

Reid allowed six hits for Central City, and just one earned run.

LISBON 3, CENTRAL CITY 0

Class 1A Regional Semifinal, at Lisbon

Central City 000 000 0 — 0 2 2

Lisbon 001 002 x — 3 6 1

Sara Reid and Bailie Weber. Ryleigh Allgood and Taylor Techau. W — Allgood (27-4). L — Reid (29-7).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com