Softball: Newman Catholic makes a long road trip but comes home with a regional semifinal win over Niagara.

It was a long road trip on Tuesday for the Newman Catholic softball team but it turned into a successful trip for the Cardinals, who came home with a 4-2 win at Niagara in a Division 5 regional semifinal. Newman advance to a regional final match-up with top seeded Athens on Thursday. Athens beat Owen-Withee 12-0 in their regional semifinal.

Newman didn't let the 2 1/2 hour bus ride affect them as they got off to a good start with a run in the top of the 1st inning. Molly Merrill led off with a walk and was driven home on a single by Madison Keene to put the Cardinals up 1-0. Niagara would tie the game with a run in the bottom of the 3rd and it would stay that way until the 5th when Newman took the lead for good. Merrill again sparked the inning, this time with a lead-off double. Maddie Jankowski followed with a double of her own to put Newman up 2-1. Keene then singled to put runners on the corners with none out. After a pop up, Newman added a run on a ground out by Addison France to extend the lead to 3-1 after 4 1/2 innings.

Newman would add an insurance run on an error in the top of the 7th and it would prove important as Niagara started the bottom of the 7th with a triple by Grace Payette followed by a single from Paige Guardiola to make it 4-2 with the tying run coming to the plate. Niagara would eventually load the bases with two out but Jankowski was able to strike out Sienna Larock to end it.

Jankowski had a big game both at the plate and in the circle. She was 3 of 4 with an RBI and two runs scored with the bat and pitched a complete game allowing 2 runs on 6 hits with 6 walks and 6 strikeouts. Keene was 2 for 4 with an RBI and Merrill 1 for 3 with 2 runs scored.

Newman has now won two straight after going winless for over a month. It will be a tough test at Athens on Thursday. The teams did meet back on April 10th, a 16-5 Athens win. However that won't matter on Thursday when a regional title will be at stake.