The 2025 softball season came to an end for the Bushnell- Prairie City Spartans Monday afternoon.
Heading to Monmouth for an Illinois High School Association Class 1A Regional contest against United, the Spartans dropped a 14-4, six-inning verdict to the Red Storm.
United improved to 5-27, snapping a 13-game losing streak. B-PC saw its season end with a final record of 2-25.
It was the second meeting between the two teams this season.
Back on Mar. 26 at Bushnell, United built a 13-1 lead before hanging on for a 15-12 victory.
Both teams scored once in the opening inning before United took control by scoring the game’s next 10 runs.
The Red Storm tallied five runs in the second, taking advantage of three singles, two hit batters, a walk and an error.
United added four runs in the third, all scoring after two were out. The Red Storm had five hits in the inning, including a two-run single by Attie Bernhardt and an RBI double by Aubrey Bainter.
The Red Storm added a single run in the fourth and was one run away from closing out the game in the fifth when the Spartans rallied for three runs.
Josie Farwell walked before Justice Klinedinst singled, moving Farwell to second.
Triniti Williams, Abby Nelson and Jayden Johnson all followed with run-scoring singles, making the score 11-4.
The Spartans got no closer however as United put the game away in the bottom of the sixth.
Five straight hits accounted for three runs that allowed the Red Storm to close out the contest by run-rule.
United out-hit B-PC 17-6. Nelson had two hits and two runs batted in for B-PC. Williams and Johnson each added a hit and a run batted in with Williams also scoring a run.
Klinedinst added a hit and scored twice, while Farwell also had a hit and a run scored.
Johnson pitched five-plus innings, allowing 11 earned runs on 17 hits. She struck out four, walked two and hit three batters.
Bainter had two doubles and knocked in three runs for United. Ava Westart had three hits with two RBIs, also scoring three times for the Red Storm.
Attie Bernhardt, Mallory Giddings and Cameron Postin chipped in two RBIs apiece, with Emma Lair adding three hits and three runs scored for the victors.
In the circle, Ella Bernhardt pitched six innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits. She struck out eight and walked three.
United was scheduled to face top-seeded West Central Tuesday in semifinal play. But the contest was postponed due to wet weather and field conditions.
The two teams played Wednesday West Central (29-6) winning 19-0 in four innings.
The second semifinal featuring host Abingdon-Avon (1318) against West Prairie (7-19) was scheduled for Thursday.
The title game remains set for Friday at 4:30 p.m.
