Cobras fall in regional softball semifinals

By Brian Sanders

A four-run rally in the sixth inning wasn’t enough to keep postseason hopes alive for Jackson Heights High School’s ninth-seeded Cobra varsity softball team, which saw its season end Wednesday, May 20 in the semifinal round of Class 2-1A regional play with an 8-4 loss to top seed and regional winner Mission Valley.

The Cobra girls’ 2026 season came to an end with a 9-7, sixth-place record in the Northeast Kansas League and an overall 11-12 record. It also marked the end of high school softball for five seniors, including Layla Cochran, Gracie Cowsert, Madi Bacon and Brynn Shupe.

Mission Valley got on the board first with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, then added two in the third and one in the fourth while the Cobras struggled to get runners on base, putting up only two hits in the first five innings — singles from Cowsert and junior Jennifer Mellies, both in the fourth inning.

The Cobras made it a 6-4 game in the top of the sixth on an RBI single from Cowsert that scored Bacon, a two-run homer from Mellies that also scored sophomore Makayla Stidman and an RBI single from sophomore Sabrina Streeter that scored sophomore Nicole Amon.

Unfortunately for the Cobras, the Vikings were able to add two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on a pair of RBI singles, and Jackson Heights went down in order in the top of the seventh to end the season.

Cochran pitched the first three innings of the game for the Cobras, allowing five runs on nine hits while striking out one. Junior Natalia Keo came on in relief and pitched the last three innings, allowing three runs on five hits and striking out one.

The Cobras had a total of eight hits in the game, which saw neither side committing any errors.

The Vikings then went on to face fourth-seeded Onaga in the regional final and beat the Buffaloes 7-3 to advance to the Class 2-1A state tournament, as did third-seed Rossville, which beat second-seeded Bennington 22-7 in their regional final. The top two teams from each of the four regional tournaments advance to the state tournament.

The Class 2-1A tournament began Monday at at Arrocha Ball Park in Lawrence, where Jackson Heights was listed as the host school and JHHS Athletic Director Brad Alley was listed as tournament manager for the Class 4A, 3A and 2-1A tournaments. Tournament games for all three classes will continue through Friday.

Class 2-1A Regional Scores

Opening Round

Mission Valley (1) 9, St. Marys (16) 8

Jackson Heights (9) 7, Wabaunsee (8) 2

Onaga (4) 15, Jefferson C. North (13) 0

McLouth (5) 7, Valley Falls (12) 6

Bennington (2) 16, Republic County (15) 0

Valley Falls (7) 17, Troy (10) 0

Rossville (3) 14, Horton (14) 1

Sacred Heart (6) 4, Doniphan West (11) 0

Semifinal Round

Mission Valley 8, Jackson Heights 4

Onaga 5, McLouth 1

Bennington 9, Valley Falls 0

Rossville 10, Sacred Heart 0

Finals

Mission Valley 7, Onaga 3

Rossville 22, Bennington 7