Playing Monday in a Class 4A softball regional at the De Soto 3-and-2 complex in Shawnee, No. 5 Tonganoxie faced a No. 4 Ward team with an identical 10-10 record.

Trailing 2-1, Mollie McCaffrey was at the plate. With a 2-1 count, McCaffrey fouled off a pitch, but the ball ricocheted and hit her in the face.

The second baseman left the game after suffering what would be a broken nose. That was in the top of the third. The Cyclones added another run in the bottom half of the inning, but Tonganoxie couldn’t muster enough offense for a rally and the Chieftains fell, 3-1, in the regional quarterfinals.

THS did put together one last rally in the seventh. Tonganoxie had runners on at first and second after Sarah Holliday opened with a double and Ashlee Murphy walked. In the next at-bat, however, the Chieftains had their first out with a fly ball to right. The right fielder then threw to first attempting to double-up Murphy. She was safe, but Holliday tried to advance to third and she was thrown out there.

Casey Cooper then hit a single up the middle, but with two out and no one in scoring position, the hit wasn’t a threat. Michelle McWilliams struck out, ending the game as the Chieftains finished the season at 10-11.

Ward burned pitcher Katie Jeannin with doubles on a few occasions, but THS stayed with Ward. The Chieftain bats had a hint of power also, as Riddle joined Holliday with a double on the day. But any hard hit usually had a diving Ward player on the other end.