Aurora didn't stand a chance Friday during the Class B-1 District Finals.
On a Blair Youth Softball Association field, the top-seeded and top-ranked Bears trounced the Huskies from the first inning on during both games of the best-of-three series, qualifying for their second-straight NSAA State Championships with a 2-0 sweep. It's the 15th tournament qualification in school history after BHS' 14th trip ended in a third-place finish last fall.
“Everything was excellent today,” coach Jennifer Fangmeier said after the 10-0 and a 15-2 victories, which took just seven combined innings to complete. “I'm very proud of their approach coming into today.”
Blair faces No. 8 Omaha Roncalli/Duchesne on Wednesday during the first round of the Class B tourney in Hastings. Win that game and two more, and the Bears will play in next Monday's final at Connie Claussen Field in Omaha.
BHS enters state play 30-4 overall, one win shy of last season's school record 31 victories. It's senior-heavy lineup had the expectations of a return trip to state from the onset and delivered throughout, losing just one game to Class B competition.
“It's a lot of pressure for a teenage kid and they've done a really nice job of playing within themselves and making sure they respected their opponents, which is really important,” Fangmeier said.
Senior pitcher and slugger Kalli Ulven said experience has had a lot to do with how the Bears managed to keep focused on their goals, including through Friday's district finals against an overmatched opponent.
“We've already been through it, so we just kind of knew what to expect coming into the games,” she said.
Before meeting Aurora, though, the Bears started the day eating breakfast side-by-side.
“Shout-out to the freshman parents for doing that for us,” senior Bria Scott said.
It got BHS into softball mode from the start and led into first-inning RBI swings by Nessa McMillen, Ulven, Sophia Wrich, Scott and Brooke Janning, who cleared the bases with a hit into right field.
From there, Leah Chance, McMillen, Ulven and Wrich turned at-bats into runs during the fourth inning for a 10-0 run-rule victory.
“Our hitting has been amazing this year,” Scott said. “And then our pitching, our defense — everything has just been really, really good and strong.”
BHS proved even stronger in the second game against Aurora, producing 12 first-inning runs during the 15-2 clincher. McMillen and Ulven both homered before Scott, sophomore Claire Anderson, Chance and Joslyn Policky added to the tally.
Just two innings later, the umpires waved off another game by run-rule. With that, the Bears advanced back to where they ended things in 2022.
“It feels different just because we're ready for more,” Chance said after her team was presented with the B-1 plaque. “We want to accomplish more than just winning a district final. We want to win a state championship.”
A lot goes into building toward such an accomplishment.
“Our coaches, they're crazy good at what they do,” senior Audie Keeling explained. “And then every person, on or off the field, has a specific job to do and everyone gets that done.”
Blair's motto from the start of the season has been to have tunnel vision. They've remained focus through 34 games atop the rankings and they plan to do the same going forward.
“We're going to come out ready to go because we have high expectations for ourselves,” Scott said. “We want to come out strong.”
Chance could hardly wait Friday.
“I'm just ready for more,” she said. “I'm ready to go win state.”
It's been a dream of Ulven's since well before she ever pitched for the Blair Bears. Now, though, it's time to go make it happen for real.
BHS SOFTBALL LINE SCORES
Friday
Blair 15, Aurora 2, 3 inn.
BHS (30-4) 12 3 0 — 15
AHS (14-21) 2 0 0 — 2
Blair 10, Aurora 0, 4 inn.
AHS (14-20) 0 0 0 0 — 0
BHS (29-4) 7 0 0 3 — 10
