For the first time since 2010 the Holton Wildcat softball team is headed to the State tournament after picking up two wins at the 4A-DII Regional at Rock Creek on Tuesday beating Rock Creek 10-3 in the Semifinals and taking down Jeff West in the Championship 5-2. 

In the Semifinals Holton pounced on the lead early getting a base runner via a hit by pitch in the bottom of the first inning and an RBI single by Bailey Flewelling made it 1-0 Wildcats against Rock Creek in the Semifinals. It remained that way until in the fourth inning when Rock Creek finally got some offense going and used a RBI double by Maddy Figge to tie the game at 1-0 after Holton had stranded five in the second and third innings combined. Holton had a big answer in the bottom of the fourth as Ally Beard gave Holton the lead back on a solo home run, what would be the first of five for the Wildcats on the day. After the home run by Beard the Wildcats worked the bases loaded via two walks and a hit batter and Flewelling on one swing spread out the scoring blasting a grand slam making it a five run fourth for Holton to lead 6-1. Rock Creek got a run back in the top of the fifth but a solo home run by Jewel Lutz and RBI triple by Beard highlighted the bottom of fifth and helped Holton score four more runs. Rock Creek attempted a rally in the seventh scoring a run but Holton shut the door and earned the 10-3 win. 

Four of the eight Wildcat hits were extra base hits in the win with three home runs and eight of the nine spots in the lineup scored at least one run. Flewelling went 2-3 with a grand slam, walk and total of five RBI's, while Beard was 2-3 with a home run and triple and Lauryn Moore was 2-3. Sarah Bond pitched a strong game going all seven innings giving up just three runs on seven hits and five walks, while striking out nine. 

Holton moved on to the Championship game where fellow Big Seven League foe Jeff West awaited them after the Tigers beat Hayden 8-7 in a back and forth contest earlier in the day. 

Jeff West just like they did against Hayden took the early lead by scoring in the first inning as Holton gave them a leadoff runner by an error and a two-out RBI single by Kiley Biltfort brought in Riley Buss to put Jeff West up 1-0. Holton took the lead in the bottom of the second when Bond and Lutz hit back-to-back solo home runs to lead the inning off. It remained 2-1 until the fifth when Holton sent eight to the plate and used four hits a walk and error to score three runs. A leadoff double by Piper Davis helped Jeff West get a run in the sixth but the Tigers were set down in order in the seventh to finish the contest with a Holton 5-2 win. 

Bond once again was strong on the mound tossing all seven innings giving up just two runs on five hits, no walks and six strikeouts and went 2-3 at the plate with a home run and two RBI. Lutz posted a 2-3 contest with her second home run of the day, while Savannah Booth was 2-4 and Annalyss Phillips had a three hits contest going 3-4 with a double, RBI and run scored. 

The wins move Holton to 18-4 on the season and the Wildcats punched their ticket to the 4A-DII State tournament in Salina earning a trip to State for the first time in eight years. The State tournament is set to commence on Thursday, May 24th in Salina at Bill Burke Complex.