LE GRAND - Katie and Callie Roseland provided a regional double take.
The twin sisters both homered as the East Marshall softball team opened the postseason with an 11-1 five-inning victory over Nevada on Tuesday.
The No. 7-ranked Mustangs (28-5) had either a base hit or RBI from each of their batters to down the Cubs in the Class 3A Region 3 quarterfinals.
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T-R PHOTO BY MARK PAWLAK
East Marshall junior Callie Roseland (3) is about to touch home plate as teammates are ready to celebrate with her after Roseland’s home run in Tuesday’s 11-1 victory over Nevada in Le Grand. The Roseland twins, Callie and Katie, both homered for the Mustangs in the regional quarterfinal contest.
East Marshall went the longest without a loss in Class 3A this summer as the Mustangs had 15 straight wins in a row to start the year. They repeated as NICL West champions and have their sights on keeping going in the Region 3 bracket.
"We reached one our of goals - a 20-win season and winning the conference," said East Marshall head coach Jary Hoskey. "This (regionals) is another goal that we're trying to achieve - making it to the state tournament."
"We won't go down without a fight, that's for sure," he added.
East Marshall earned a spot in Friday's regional semifinals where it will face Gilbert (18-14) at 7 p.m. in Le Grand.
After a scoreless first inning on Tuesday, the Cubs (2-25) could hold down the Mustang offense no longer.
Karly Long led off the second with a walk and Katie Roseland followed with a home run to center field. The two-run shot was her 13th of the season to match the total the Class 3A leaders had coming into the night. A Taylor Fricke double led to another run for a 3-0 advantage. Fricke ended the contest with three runs scored.
Nevada put together three consecutive singles by Tanner Messerli, Kelsey Haley and Delaney Cheek to plate a run in its half of the third.
East Marshall put the game away with four runs in each of the third and fifth frames.
Callie Roseland homered in the fifth to left field for her second round-tripper of the year. In both games Callie has hit a home run this year, so has Katie.
Katie Roseland finished 2-for-3 with a double, home run and three RBIs.
"That was a big home run by Katie to light the fire, and then twin sister Callie had a two-run shot," Hoskey said.
The two balls over the fence bring the Mustangs' Class 3A-leading season total to 27.
A senior class of four for East Marshall that have all being multi-year fixtures together in the starting lineup began their final regional tournament on the right foot.
"The seniors led us again tonight," Hoskey said.
Alyssa Whitmore had a single and walked twice. Chelsea Whitmore finished with two hits and an RBI. Long's base hit ended the game by the 10-run rule in the fifth, while Abby Nuese added an RBI double.
Sophomore Haley Long struck out seven, walked two and hit a batter from the circle for the Mustangs to run her season record to 17-2.
Gilbert defeated Roland-Story in the rubber match of the series between the two HOIAC teams, 6-1 on Tuesday.
The other half of the bracket has a semifinal pairing of Forest City at Iowa Falls-Alden.
"Are we where we want to be?" Hoskey said. "Not yet."
"We will enjoy the Fourth and then get after it again," he added. "We've got a big game back here Friday night."