With Regional brackets already released and many teams with the regular season in the books Nemaha Central played host to Hiawatha for Big Seven League softball action on Thursday in a pair of makeup games from earlier in the season giving both teams some opportunities to get ready for Regionals. The Thunder on senior night snagged a pair of victories on their home diamond winning 12-1 in five innings and 13-3 in six innings. 

Nemaha Central jumped out to an early lead in game one scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning on five hits and a Hiawatha error. Shania Schraad led inning off with a triple and Holly Beenblossom and Abby Leonard each had RBI singles in the frame to help the Thunder score five. The lead expanded for Nemaha Central in the second with two runs on three hits and another Red Hawk error and the Thunder didn't stop there scoring two more runs in the third and another in the fourth. Hiawatha pushed a run across in the fourth on a Laila Jones RBI single but trailed 12-1 entering the top of the fifth and need a few runs to continue the game and were unable to get them giving the Thunder the 12-1 five inning win. 

Mattea Rettele led the Thunder in the circle getting the win in game one giving up one run in five innings on five hits with five strikeouts and also had an RBI triple in the contest. Leonard and Beenblossom led Nemaha Central at the plate each going 3-3, as Leonard scored two runs and had one RBI, while Beenblossom had three RBI and three runs scored. MaKayla Sloop also recorded a 3-3 game and Maggie Hammes went 2-3. In the loss Hiawatha was led by Hailey Loyd who was 2-2 with a triple. 

Just like game one Nemaha Central jumped out to the early lead in game two scoring a pair of runs on no hits in the bottom of the first inning capitalizing on two errors and a walk. Nemaha Central grew their lead in the third and fourth scoring three and five runs in the innings, respectively. Three infield hits partnered with a bases loaded walk and a Hiawatha error score three in the third for the Thunder, while in the fourth nine came to the plate the Thunder got five runs. Hammes highlighted the fourth with a near inside the park home run that was ruled a RBI triple and she scored on an error. Entering the fifth Nemaha Central led 10-0 and Hiawatha needed a run to continue the contest and got three in the Top of the fifth after leaving the bases loaded in the Top of the fourth. Red Hawks did all their damage in the fifth with two-outs as Kylie Thompson delivered a bases clearing three RBI double to make it 10-3. Thunder got one back in the bottom of the fifth and finished the contest in the bottom of the sixth scoring two with the winning run scoring on a RBI single by Madison Emmons giving the Thunder the 13-3 win. 

Emmons earned the win in the circle for Nemaha Central giving up three runs on nine hits and one walk with six strikeouts, while going 2-3 with an RBI. Of the 11 different batters that registered an at bat in game two for Nemaha Central nine recorded a hit. Hiawatha in the loss was led by Loyd who went 2-2 with a walk and Jones who was 2-4. 

The pair of wins for Nemaha Central pushes them to 10-10 on the season, while Hiawatha fell to 3-15 on the season. Both teams will open Regionals in Class 3A at Marysville on Monday as Hiawatha will take on Beloit and Nemaha Central will play Sabetha in the first round both games with 4:30pm start times.