The Allen Red Devils ended their arch-rivals’ hopes of a Region 6 Tournament championship run after defeating the Neosho Panthers in the opening round Tuesday in Overland Park.
Allen, seeded seventh at the tournament, knocked off second-seeded Neosho, 6-5.
The Red Devils were scheduled to face the nationally ranked Johnson County Community College Wednesday.
Sophomore pitcher Camrynn Yardley picked up the win while keeping Neosho scoreless through the first two frames. She put Allen on the scoreboard with a first-inning RBI double. Neosho rallied to a 3-1 lead but that did not last long. The Red Devils responded with a two-run fifth inning and a three-run sixth inning to walk away with the victory.
A Yardley two-run homer tied the game 3-3, then Allen tied the game 3-3, then Allen took the lead with a three-run homer by sophomore shortstop Bailey Campbell.
Yardley and Campbell ended the day tied for the team lead in RBIs with three each. Yardley also had a team-leading three hits while successful in 3 of 4 at-bats while Campbell had a pair of hits in 2 of 3 appearances.
With the win, the Red Devils improve to 23-25 overall. With the Region 6 Tournament being double elimination, a win or a loss in round two will not bring either team’s season to an end. If the Red Devils lose, they face Labette in the consolation semifinals. If they win, they will likely face Cowley in the championship game.
