Seckman Falls to Eureka in Softball Playoffs

This year's Eureka High School girls' varsity softball members already have proven they are one of the top four teams in Missouri. Come Friday, they play another winning team from Troy for the first Class 4 semifinal game in the State Softball Tournament. Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) games will be held in Springfield, MO, at the Killian Sports Complex.

The Wildcats' trip to southwest Missouri to battle the Trojans was cinched Saturday in Imperial when Eureka beat the Seckman Jaguars 5-3 in a State Sectional game.

has not had a District Champion team since 1999; Friday's semifinal game will mark the first final four appearance for Troy.

One elated Eureka fan is Debra Weiss, mother of the Wildcats' first baseman, Jenny Weiss. She said this development is particularly exciting for her family because Jenny's older sister, Jill, played with the Eureka team that won the State Softball Tournament in 1997. "It's like coming full circle, and it's just wonderful."

The winner of Friday's 10 a.m. semifinal game will play either Webb City or Blue Springs in the championship at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Eureka's Interim Principal Deborah Asher was there Saturday to witness the outcome. "I have goosebumps, I'm so happy for these girls. It's everything they have worked for," she said.

Eureka's Head Coach Mark Mosley's initial reaction with the team was that "this is pretty fantastic."

He said after going down 2-0, he was proud of the way they kept their heads down and kept playing the level of ball of which they are capable. "Maddie (Krumrey, Eureka's pitcher) executed the tactic I wanted her to, and it took us a while to make a few adjustments, but all did the players did what we've practiced for the past two days."

Krumrey said after the battle it was "the most stressful game" of her life.

Seckman's Head Coach Steve Bonastia said everyone is so proud of this year's team. "No one among the softball gurus believed we could get this far, but the girls and those of us immediately around them. They never gave up; they battled every single game."

Bonastia said the Seckman athletes "left it all out there on the field" Saturday, and that there were "no what ifs." The Jaguars' rally in the 6th inning created a bit of tension for the Wildcats.

"All along, I thought it was Eureka we were going to see in the playoffs. They could win it all," said Bonastia, who told Mosley right after the game to go "win State for us, too."

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

FINAL

Seckman

1

0

1

0

0

1

0

3

Eureka

0

0

3

2

0

0

0

5

About Killian Sports Complex

Missouri's State Championship Softball games were held at the Killian Sports Complex for the first time last year. They were held at Heritage Park in St. Joseph during the two years before that. Prior to St. Joseph, the tournament was held at Rainbow Softball Complex in Columbia, MO, from 1996-2007.

A $2.7 million renovation project was completed at Killian Sports Complex in 2009. The 31-acre park and six-field complex is operated by the Springfield-Greene County Park Board. Killian Softball Stadium has seating for up to 1,200 spectators, 523 of which are chair-back.

Sixteen teams, consisting of four teams in each of MSHSAA's four softball classifications, advance to the championship site each year. The tournament features two semifinal contests in each class on Friday. The third-place contests will be played Friday afternoon, with the championship contests being played Saturday.