HobbsDailyReport.com
CLAREMONT – One-run wins by the top two seeds in the Southern District 7 Athletic 2A softball tournament on Wednesday have set up another battle between Lincoln County rivals.
In semifinals at Bunker Hill High, second-seeded East Lincoln nipped No. 3 Bunker Hill 3-2 and top-seeded West Lincoln needed 10 innings to eliminate No. 4 Maiden 6-5.
Friday’s 6 p.m. final, at Bunker Hill, is the Mustangs (15-6) against the Rebels (16-6).
They will meet for the second time in a week, as West Lincoln won 12-2 at home on April 28 to finish a game ahead of East Lincoln in the chase for a regular season title.
East Lincoln beat the Rebels 4-3 at home in their other SD-7 2A meeting.
The outcome on Friday will not impact the seeding process into the state 2A bracket, as West Lincoln had already wrapped up the top spot by winning the regular season. East Lincoln will then be seeded. If any other SD-7 2A teams get in, it will be via their overall winning percentage.
Maiden went 9-5 in the regular season, tying Bunker Hill for third place, and it had split with West Lincoln in the regular season. The Blue Devils played only one other one-run league game this year, beating Bunker Hill 10-9 to open the league schedule.
Bunker Hill was in its fourth one-run game against an SD-7 2A team on Wednesday. In addition to falling to Maiden by a run in a conference opener, the Bears lost 5-4 to Bandys and beat West Lincoln 4-3 on the road.