by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The Wellington girls softball team advanced to the semifinals of the Class 4A Regional with a 5-3 victory over Rose Hill Monday evening and will play Clearwater today at 3 p.m. at Independence.

How does one get there? Well, follow this hawk flying in the sky and…. OK, OK. To get there, courtesy of Steve Sturgis’ website, you go on U.S. 166 (there are two highways to get there, but this is the bigger 2-lane road. First you get on 75 North, turn right or East on 160 (big implement dealership on your left), U.S. 160 will turn into Main when you reach the city limits. Then you continue east until 10th Street (Jump Start on your right), turn right or south. Then you continue until you come to a sign on your right that says Arco Sports Complex and turn in at the sign.

On Google maps it will take two hours and three minutes. So leave soon.

Yesterday, Wellington survived a plethora of errors and did not have key senior starter Kailey Jenkins, who was out because of a medical condition. She is questionable for today’s game.

Wellington beat Rose Hill thanks to a quick start. The Crusaders opened with a 1-0 lead when Shelby Hamel singled to right field with bases loaded. Unfortunately, Wellington left the bases loaded.

In the bottom of the second, Wellington scored three runs, thanks in part to Carlie McComb’s sacrifice fly. Wellington led 5-1 after Shanlyn Hefley singled Ashley Collins home in the bottom of the fourth.

The Crusaders then held onto dear life as Rose Hill scored two runs in the top of the fifth. In the sixth, the Rockets had girls on second and third when McComb made two key stops at third base to end the inning with the Rockets going scoreless.

Wellington then had a double play in the top of seventh to preserve the win.

The Crusaders will play Clearwater whom they lost to three times during the regular season. All of them were competitive games, though.

 Wellington 5 Rose Hill 3 

Rose Hill          0 0 1 0 2 0 0 —     3  7  2

Wellington       1 3 0 1 0 0 x —        5  4  5

McComb.    0-3,   1 RBI.  1 run.  1bb

Oathout.    0-3,  1 bb

Hefley.       1-3,  1 bb

Buck.         1-1,  1bb.  1hp

Hamel.       1/3,  1 RBI

Zimmerman.  0-3

Mullen.          0-1, 1bb. 1hp

P Adams.       1-2, 1 run, 1bb

Collins.        0-2, 2 run, 1bb

Zavala.                1 run

Winning pitcher — Hefley.    Losing pitcher — Wheeler