SALINA — The Ellsworth softball team took on the Sacred Heart Knights March 27 in their 2026 season opener. Despite playing the Knights in a tight Game 1 and a valiant comeback effort in both games, the Bearcats dropped both league contests.

In the first game of the doubleheader, Sacred Heart scored a single run in the bottom of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead.

The Bearcats clawed their way back to their first lead of the game, scoring one run in the top of the second and two runs in the top of the third to take their first lead of the game at 3-1 as the matchup headed into the fourth inning.

After giving up three runs in the bottom of the fourth, Ellsworth responded with a two-run fifth inning to reclaim the lead at 5-4 going into the bottom of the fifth.

Sacred Heart then tied the game in the bottom of the fifth before unloading for a five-run sixth inning to give the red and black a 5-point hole to dig out of, going into the seventh and final frame with the score being 10-5 in favor of the Knights.

Knowing their backs were against the wall, the Bearcats clawed their way back in the seventh, but fell just shy of the five runs they needed as the game came to an end with a 10-8 Sacred Heart win.

Senior Lexi Moore and sophomore Miley Rolfs each knocked in 3 runs, while Rolfs, junior Reygan Coonrod, and freshman Cora Kyler scored 2 runs apiece.

In the nightcap, the Ellsworth defense kept the Bearcats within striking distance of the Knights, holding Sacred Heart to two runs in the first and fourth innings as the contest went into the sixth inning with a 4-0 Knight lead.

The bats finally started warming up for Ellsworth in the sixth inning, as the Bearcats scored three runs in their half of the sixth inning and two runs in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a six-run sixth inning for the Knights, as Sacred Heart won the second contest 10-5.

Moore and junior Karli Haase each went 1-2 at the plate, as Moore also scored two runs in the game.

The team heads back out on the road April 2 to take on Beloit.