Karly Jones stands at first base after a single for the Tigers in sectional play Monday.

ELKHART – The Warsaw softball team saw its season come to a close Monday with an 8-1 loss to Goshen in the opening game of the Class 4-A Elkhart Memorial Sectional.

The game, and more specifically the second inning, was a microcosm of the entire season for the Tigers.

The combination of walks, wild pitches, errors and the lack of timely hitting all conspired to take the wind out of Warsaw’s sails in the season finale.

The Redskins, who split with Warsaw during the conference round robin play, plated four runs in the second frame. Goshen scored on a bases-loaded walk, twice on wild pitches and on a groundout. The Tigers had two errors and a hit batter in the inning, which saw the Redskins manage just one hit.

Goshen (8-20)  advances to the semifinal round at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday night to play  Northridge. The Raiders beat Elkhart Central 7-4 in the second game Monday. Host Memorial will face Concord in the second semifinal Tuesday evening. The championship game is set for Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Warsaw sees its season end at 3-20.

Warsaw, with the wind whipping at 20-30 miles per hour, walked four batters and allowed seven hits in six innings.

Goshen sophomore pitcher Kate Atkinson gave up just two hits and somehow only allowed one run despite walking nine Warsaw hitters. She did have 10 strikeouts and got a double play in the fourth on a liner to second to stymie a Tiger scoring threat.

“It snowballed on us today, like it has all season,” said Warsaw coach Kevin Dishman. “A walk, a wild pitch. You have to throw strikes, especially today with the wind. It was a small ball game today. I commend our pitcher. She tried her best out there.

“Their pitcher threw a good game, but I think the wind had a lot to do with our at bats today. It affected us. It made her quicker than she is. We had been hitting the ball well lately and the girls came in with the right attitude today. We just did not have any timely hitting.”

Taylor Stiver fouls off a pitch for Warsaw.

The Tigers, who beat Goshen 4-3 and lost 9-1 to the Redskins during league play, scored their lone run in the third. Senior Karly Jones got a one-out single, followed by back-to-back walks to load the the bases. Sophomore Lauren Shaffner then drove home Jones with a groundout to second. Atkinson then got a strikeout to end the Tiger threat.

Warsaw left two runners on base in the first, third and seventh innings.

The Redkins scored three runs in fourth frame as Emily Castillo had an RBI single. Castillo added another RBI single in the sixth for the 8-1 final.

It did help the Warsaw cause when sophomore starting catcher Morgan Ashtari suffered a finger injury in the second inning and had to leave the game.

The Tigers had singles from Jones and freshman Saylor Bradley in the contest. Second baseman Sarah Shoemaker turned in a strong day defensively for Warsaw, including an outstanding stab of a liner for the final out in the sixth inning.

Sophomore Abby Glass went the distance in the circle for the Tigers.

Warsaw will lose four seniors in Jones, Sidney Hernandez, Taylor Stiver and Ashley Gamble. The quartet all started Monday’s game.

Pitcher Abby Glass winds up for Warsaw.

“Our seniors did a good job this season helping with our younger players,” commented Dishman. “We saw a lot of improvement from our younger kids. I’m excited about that. We need to put in some good work this summer, but I think we are in a good spot. I like the girls that we have coming back and I like the ones who are coming up too.”