The Eastern Midlands Conference (EMC) didn't put up much resistance.
The Class B No. 1 Blair High School softball team outscored Lincoln Northwest, No. 10 Waverly and No. 4 Hastings 32-4 Saturday, claiming the conference's tournament with a three-game sweep at the Bill Smith Complex in Hastings.
Coach Jennifer Fangmeier's Bears (17-3 overall) faced the fourth-ranked Tigers — EMC newcomers — in the finals and won 9-1 in six innings. Senior standout Kalli Ulven earned the pitching win with seven strikeouts, while Brooke Janning closed the game out in the circle.
Ulven also finished the title tilt with five RBIs, producing two of them on her second home run of the tourney. The slugger is quickly nearing BHS' season record for RBIs in a season (49), which was set by Kailey Siemonsma in 2014.
In Blair's 8-0 win against Waverly in the semifinals, both Janning and Claire Mann hit two-RBI doubles. Ulven, meanwhile, pitched the shutout, finishing with seven Ks.
The Bears started EMC Tournament play, however, with a 15-3 win against the Northwest Falcons. McMillen — who had five RBIs — and Ulven hit homers, while Janning hit a two-RBI double. Laynie Brown notched an RBI triple late, too.
Bears win at Dill Field
The top-ranked Bears warmed up for the conference tournament Thursday with a five-inning victory at Dill Field. They outscored host Omaha Roncalli/Duchesne 13-4 for their 14th win of the fall season.
Janning earned the win in the pitching circle with six strikeouts, while also notching one of BHS' six extra-base hits. Ulven, Mann, Audie Keeling and she hit triples, while Ulven and McMillen doubled.
Overall, Ulven was 3-for-4 with three RBIs. McMillen notched two hits and two RBIs, while Leah Chance, Janning, Claire Anderson, Mann and Keeling also plated runs during the Bears' road win.
BHS was scheduled to play at Omaha Skutt on Monday and next competes 6:30 p.m. today against Elkhorn at the Blair Youth Sports Complex.
BHS SOFTBALL LINE SCORES
Saturday
No. 1 Blair 9, No. 4 Hastings 1, 6 inn.
HHS (10-2) 0 0 0 1 0 0 — 1
BHS (17-3) 2 0 3 0 2 2 — 9
No. 1 Blair 8, No. 10 Waverly 0, 5 inn.
WHS (6-5) 0 0 0 0 0 — 0
BHS (16-3) 0 3 4 1 X — 8
No. 1 Blair 15, Lincoln Northwest 3, 3 inn.
LNW (3-8) 0 2 1 — 3
BHS (15-3) 11 0 4 — 15
Thursday
No. 1 Blair 13, Omaha Roncalli/Duchesne 4, 5 inn.
BHS (14-3) 2 3 2 1 5 — 13
ORD (2-6) 0 1 0 1 2 — 4
