Centralia's most recent state championship was won in 2016.
That was also the most recent state Final Four trip for the Lady Panthers (28-3) until they defeated state No. 8 Winfield (23-6) 1-0 on Saturday in a Class 3 quarterfinal in Centralia. The state No. 1 Lady Panthers take a 13th straight game and seven-game shutout streak into Friday's 1:30 p.m. semifinal against Blair Oaks (15-18) at the Killian Softball Complex in Springfield. Jaylynn Brown pitched her second straight no-hitter while striking out 10 and allowing one walk in seven innings. The sophomore extended her scoreless inning streak to 49 innings and was credited with the only RBI of the game on a groundout in the fourth inning. Cora King scored on the play, following a two-base error on a single, and finished 2-for-3. Centralia only had four hits against all-state pitcher Maci Knowles.
Look for the full story in the Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, edition of the Mexico Ledger.
