The Washington Demons are moving on in the high softball playoffs after an impressive 10-0 win over Central Lee in the Class 3A Region 5 semifinals Saturday.

Facing a team that knocked them out of the postseason a year ago, Washington got the lead in the second inning with a double by freshman Makenzie Messer that drove in their first run. But it was the third frame where the game turned.

After freshman Reagan Miller smoked a lead-off double and junior Leighton Salazar reached on a base hit, senior Ella Greiner brought them both home with a single to build a three-run advantage.

A hit for sophomore Colbie Greiner and a walk by Alyvia Anderson loaded the bases with one out, and that’s when the Demons really started to put together a rally. Senior Halle Cuddeback drew another walk to drive in a run, and a base hit by Messer pushed the lead to 5-0.

Freshman Natalie Hartman brought a run home with a ground ball fielder’s choose where no out was recorded, and after Miller beat out an infield single to plate another runner, Salazar smoked a two-run triple to cap an eight-run inning for Washington.

The Demons would end the game early when Colbie Greiner led off the fourth inning with a double and scored on a bases-loaded groundout by Cuddeback.

After the game, head coach Ben Obermann told KCII Sports that his team played a complete game to get redemption from last year’s playoff defeat to Central Lee.

“Our whole lineup, one-through-nine tonight, was really clicking,” Obermann said. “Everyone did something productive, and if our bottom [of the order]’s getting on for our top, we’re a really, really dangerous lineup. [I] couldn’t be more proud of the approaches we had.”

Colbie Greiner finished with two hits and two runs scored, as did Miller and Messer, who combined to collect three runs batted in. Senior Bella Salazar also had a two-hit game and was the winning pitcher for Washington, allowing no hits and just one walk in four innings.

The Demons, ranked 10th in the state in Class 3A, are now 28-9 and move on to a regional final for the first time in five years. Washington will compete for a trip to state tomorrow night against fifth-ranked Davenport Assumption in the Region 5 championship.

You can hear all the action on 106.1 FM KCII and streaming on KCIIradio.com and the KCII1 app starting tomorrow evening at 6:30.