Lennox falls in extra innings thriller against Madison in regular season finale

Ahleeya  Nicola flies into home, beating the ball to get the run for the Orioles against Madison.

The Lennox High School softball team closed out its regular season in dramatic fashion Thursday night, battling into extra innings with visiting Madison before falling 8-6 in a back-and-forth contest that featured strong offensive performances, key errors, and clutch hits on both sides.

The game marked the final regular season game for the Orioles before the Class A SoDak 16 round, which begins Tuesday, May 27.

Lennox came out hot at the plate, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Senior Taylor Ragle launched a three-run home run to right field, putting Lennox up 4-1 and energizing the home crowd. The Orioles capitalized on a Madison error earlier in the inning, setting the stage for the early offensive surge.

But Madison responded in the third inning, putting up a five-run frame thanks to a string of hits and Lennox miscues. The Bulldogs took advantage of two errors in the outfield and a fielder’s choice to tie the game at 4-4 before adding a go-ahead run on a dropped fly ball in center field.

Despite the defensive stumbles, Lennox clawed its way back in the fifth. Senior Ahleeya Nicola led off with a double and later scored on a groundout by Madyson Dykstra to even the game at 5-5. Nicola finished with three hits on the night.

After a scoreless sixth and seventh, the game moved into extra innings tied 5-5. In the top of the eighth, Madison delivered the decisive blow. Jayna Pedersen crushed a three-run home run to center field, giving the Bulldogs an 8-5 lead. 

The Orioles made one last push in the bottom of the eighth. Peyten Wright was placed on second due to international tiebreaker rules and scored on a single by Aleeah Oltmanns to cut the deficit to 8-6. Hayley Hahn followed with a single, bringing the potential winning run to the plate, but Ragle popped out and the game ended with a groundout.

Hahn pitched the complete game for Lennox, tallying seven strikeouts.

With the loss, Lennox finishes the regular season with a 3-14 record and now shifts focus to the postseason. The Orioles will compete in the SoDak 16 on Tuesday against Sioux Valley with hopes of earning a spot in the state tournament.