Mendota’s Reiss Buettner tries to get her foot in at the plate before Erie-Prophetstown pitcher Calisa Steel catches the ball and can apply the tag during the regional championship on May 19. Buettner was safe, scoring the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. (Reporter photo)

MENDOTA – Mendota lived up to its top-seed billing and sweated out 3-1 win over Erie-Prophetstown in the championship game of the Mendota Class 2A Regional Softball Tournament on May 19 at the MHS field. It was the first regional championship in Mendota school history.

The Lady Trojans had just five hits and all of their runs were unearned thanks to some shoddy defense by the Lady Panthers, who committed four costly errors.

With Mendota up 3-1, Erie-Prophetstown loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh, but MHS pitcher Rylee Klema struck out the final two batters for the complete-game victory.

“What a great win,” said Mendota coach Joel Perez. “The girls have worked hard all year long and I give them all the credit. They’ve put in a lot of time to get to this point.”

Erie-Prophetstown scored what proved to be its only run of the game in the top of first inning. Calisa Steel led off with a single, went to second on a wild pitch and to third on a passed ball. She remained at third as Klema retired the next two batters, but Erica Thulen came up with a clutch two-out single to drive in Steel.

Mendota took the lead with a two-run second on two hits and a pair of E-P errors. Emma Boatman reached on an error and Reiss Buettner followed with a single. As Mendota’s Anna Bokus struck out, the ball popped out of catcher Ady Scott’s glove and Boatman took off for third. Scott’s throw tipped off the glove of third baseman Makenzie Glassburn for an error and Boatman scored. Buettner advanced to third on the play and then raced home on a wild pitch.

The Lady Trojans tacked on an insurance tally in the fifth when Larkin O’Donnell laced a one-out single and she made it second when the left fielder bobbled the ball for an error. A wild pitch put O’Donnell at third and then she scored on a sacrifice fly by Morgan Marquis.

E-P put up a mild threat in the sixth when it got two hits and an intentional walk to Thulen, but Thulen was hit with a batted ball when she tried to go from first to second and that helped deflate the Lady Panthers’ rally attempt.

Klema scattered nine hits in picking up the pitching win. She walked one and struck out 12.

Buettner singled and doubled for two of Mendota’s five safeties.

“Our bats were not as good as they’ve been the last couple of weeks, but we pitched well and played good defense,” added Perez.