DOUGLASS — Caney Valley High School’s softball team will play for the class 3A regional championship against Leon-Bluestem.
However, just when that tournament finale will be played is unknown.

The championship game was scheduled to be played late Wednesday in Douglass, Kan., but was postponed earlier in the day due to inclement weather. The game will be played at 5 p.m., Friday, May 21, in Douglass, Kan.

Should Caney Valley defeat Leon-Bluestem, then the Bullpups will advance to the class 3A state tournament on Friday and Saturday, May 28-29, in Manhattan, Kan.

What is certain is that Caney Valley is awfully lucky to be playing for a possible berth to the state tournament. The Bullpups defeated Douglass, 8-7, in an exciting eight-inning affair Tuesday night that saw Caney Valley rally six runs down late in the game.

“It was a total team effort,” said Jerod Rigdon, first-year head coach at Caney Valley. “It was just incredible how we came back to win that game.”

Down 7-1 in the fifth inning, Caney Valley scored four runs in the fifth and added two runs in the sixth frame to knot the score at 7-7, thereby forcing extra innings.

In the eighth inning, Kayla Clapp got on base with a single and was advanced to third base when Paige Chaffin had a successful bunt.

Kati Hiner belted a line drive to Belle Plaine’s third baseman, but the infielder bobbled the ball momentarily, allowing Hiner to safely cross first base and advance Clapp to homeplate.

“All I can say is this: wow!” said Rigdon.

Rigdon said it as surprising that the Bullpups, the top seed in the eight-team regional tournament, would face the bottom seed in the tournament: Leon-Bluestem. Entering the tournament with an 0-18 record, the Lions recorded an upset victory over second-seed Cherryvale and then defeated third-seed Belle Plaine in the semi-final round for a right to face Caney Valley in the tournament championship game.

“It’s crazy how things work out in the regional tournament,” said Rigdon.

In other softball matters at Caney Valley, the Bullpups finished the 2010 Tri-Valley League season as co-champions with Burlington. Burlington posted a 10-2 league record while Caney Valley had an 8-2 conference standing.

Caney Valley was scheduled to play Humboldt last Thursday, but that doubleheader was cancelled due to inclement weather.