Mendota’s Alex Barrera beats the ball to third base after advancing to second on a stolen base and then on to third on an error during the regional semifinals on May 15 at Mendota. Princeton third baseman Miranda Sorenson awaits the ball. (Reporter photo)

MENDOTA – A number one seed needs to make an early statement against an underdog about who is boss, and Mendota wasted no time in letting Princeton know who was in charge.

The top-seeded Lady Trojans batted around in the first inning and put six runs on the board en route to a 12-1 thrashing of the Tigresses in the semifinal-round of the Mendota Class 2A Regional Softball Tournament on May 15 at the MHS field. The game was stopped in the fifth inning because of the 10-run rule.

Princeton looked like it might jump out to the lead when leadoff hitter McKenzie Coleman hit a hard liner to right field that got past Larkin O’Donnell and allowed Coleman to scamper to third. But Mendota pitcher Rylee Klema worked out of the jam by getting a ground out, a strikeout and a pop out to strand the Princeton runner at third.

Then the Lady Trojans’ offense quickly went to work.

Morgan Marquis led off with a single for Mendota, stole second and third, and scored on a triple by Alex Barrera. Rylee Klema walked, then after a strikeout, Emma Boatman drove in Barrera with a fielder’s choice grounder. Reiss Buettner followed with a single, and after another strikeout, Eve Herbert ripped a double to plate two runs. Larkin O’Donnell followed with an RBI single to put Mendota up 6-0.

Klema got out of another mini-jam in the second as Princeton put runners on first and third, then the Lady Trojans’ offense was back at it.

Klema and Jenna O’Donnell both singled to start the bottom of the second. Then Boatman hammered a shot off the left-center field wall for a two-run double. Buettner singled to send Boatman to third and Anna Bokus delivered an RBI single to put Mendota up 9-0.

The Lady Trojans completed their scoring with three runs in the third. Walks to Barrera and Klema, an error and a wild pitch plated Barrera, then Boatman had almost the identical hit she had in the second inning, only this time the ball sailed over the fence for a two-run homer to make it 12-0.

The Tigresses managed to avoid a shutout when a double and a single produced a run in the top of the fifth.

Mendota finished with 11 hits off of two Princeton pitchers. Boatman (double, home run, five RBI) and Buettner (two singles) had multi-hit games.

Klema allowed five hits in earning the win in the circle. She walked one and struck out five.