MP Softball Seniors 2022, Photo Courtesy of Mid-Prairie Softball Social Media

The Class 3A regional quarterfinal between the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk softball team and No. 13 Chariton was tight through three innings, but the Chargers flipped a switch at the plate to take a 13-1 win in four frames Wednesday. Chariton built an early lead with a single run on three hits in the first and two more on a pair of knocks in the second to go up 3-0. Mid-Prairie got on the board in the third when Molly Yoder cracked a triple into the corner and Landry Pacha brought her in on a sacrifice fly. Down just two going to the fourth, things would take a turn in the next half inning. Chariton sent 14 hitters to the plate, scoring 10 runs on five hits and one Golden Hawk error to end the proceedings early. The Golden Hawks were out hit 10-2 in the loss with Madeline Schrader joining Molly Yoder in the hit column with her fourth inning single. Layne Braby was the winning pitcher for Chariton, collecting her 17th victory of the season, striking out three in her four inning outing. Sydney Knebel took the loss for Mid-Prairie with three and two thirds innings with 10 hits, 13 runs, six walks and four strikeouts. After the game, Golden Hawk head coach Amy Hartsock-Williams joined the KCII Postgame Show to talk about what she saw in the big inning and what she talked about with her team after the loss. “First thing I said was ‘there’s winners and losers or winners and learners, and I’m not in the losing category. I’m  learner, and you’re going to be a learner. It’s winners and learners or winners and losers, which do you want to be?’ They all said we’re learners. They’re going to take this. They’re going to put it away and they’re going to let it drive them. All year long.”

Mid-Prairie ends the season at 16-13. It’s the Hawks first winning year since the summer of 2015, and their most wins since 2017. The Golden Hawks say goodbye to seniors Dawsyn Miller and Brittany Kinsinger. Chariton advances to play No. 3 Williamsburg who was a 10-0 winner over Clarke Wednesday.