For the first time in the playoffs, the Turkey Valley girls were unable to stage a comeback after finding themselves down early in the game. In the first round of the 2A State Tournament Tuesday Solon took an early 2-0 lead and added to it; the game finished with the Trojans on the short end of a 5-1 score.
    Solon was defending their 2A title from a year ago; they wasted no time. Their first batter tripled, they added two singles in the first inning for a 2-0 lead. Turkey Valley hit twice in the first inning, Samantha Shimak and Kristin Milbrandt each singled but were both stranded. The Trojans also had two base runners stranded in the second as Maddy McKone doubled and Karen Bouska walked.
    Both teams went scoreless the next two innings, in the fifth with two away the Spartans singled, then doubled, then tripled to score another pair of runs.
    After a single at the top of the sixth, a Solon pinch runner tried for a steal, but was out on a throw from catcher Kristin Milbrandt to shortstop Megan Lukes. Meagan Novotny retired the next two batters on strikes to end the Solon at bat. In the bottom half Shimak singled but was out on a fielder’s choice and Novotny also singled, but no runs were scored.
    Both teams put up a run in the seventh. For the Trojans, Karen Bouska refused to give up and laced a triple to right field with two away. Haley Kriener batted her in with a single before the inning ended.
    Novotny struck out 11 with three walks and 10 hits. Turkey Valley gathered seven hits, struck out 13 times and only drew one walk. Each team left seven stranded and neither team had an error.
    The loss was only the fourth for the Trojans; they were 38-4 after the game.