By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholll@dailynews.net

Last season, the Thomas More Prep-Marian softball team entered the state tournament with a 21-2 record and the overall No. 1 seed in Class 4A. A year later, the Monarchs completed the regular season with a school record 18-1 mark.

However, it's highly unlikely that the Monarchs (if they win the Larned regional next week) will receive a top two seed in the Class 3A state tournament.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association bases its seeding off winning percentage. On Thursday, the Monarchs beat Colby 2-1 to move to 18-1 overall, but lightning canceled the second game and ended TMP-Marian's regular season with 19 games, one fewer than the maximum allowed in the state.

The loss of one game could yield a lower seed in the state tournament. Two Class 3A teams are listed on the KSHSAA Web site with undefeated records, McLouth (17-0) and Wichita Independent (18-0). Osage City also is 18-1, so if the seeds hold, the Monarchs could be the No. 3 or No. 4 seed.

"I just wish we could have gotten two games in tonight," head coach Alan Billinger said. "The state tournament is going to be tough, we are probably going to end up with a draw with somebody right in the middle with one loss."

The 18-1 record, though, did break the school record for regular season winning percentage. However, the rainout kept TMP-Marian from possibly setting a Monarch record with 19 regular season wins.

The 2007 squad finished 18-2 in the regular season en route to a 24-2 finish at the Class 4A state title, while the 2004 team was 18-2 and finished 23-3 overall with a second place finish. TMP-Marian has been to state every year since 2003 and has never finished worse than fourth.

Defense sound

Even though the Monarchs tied a season-low in runs and didn't pitch particularly well in the 2-1 victory, TMP-Marian still made several nice defensive plays, including one by senior right fielder Kelsey Flax. With one out in the fifth inning, Colby freshman left fielder Brittany Bange hit a short fly ball down the first base line.

Flax, senior second baseman Chelsea Fieler and sophomore first baseman Kaylee Hoffman all converged. Flax ran in, outstretched her arm and made a shoestring catch in foul territory.

Hoffman, pitching in Game 2, made a nice play on a grounder down the third base line. She hustled off the rubber, grabbed the ball, turned and threw a strike to senior Maddy Mall at first. The Monarchs had one error, while Colby made two, including one on a grounder by sophomore Jessa Stramel in Game 1. Stramel reached on a miscue by third baseman Jordan Kritzki and scored the eventual game-winning run.

"I think without a doubt our defense played well," Billinger said.

Monarch baseball rained out

The baseball team was tied 2-2 in the second inning of Game 1 in a road doubleheader against Colby when the doubleheader was cancelled.

The Monarchs finish the regular season with a 6-10 record and will face Larned (8-8) in the first round of the Holcomb regional next Monday at 4:30 p.m. Lakin (19-0) is the top team in the regional.

Bunts

The three seniors, Mall, Flax and Fieler, were honored before Game 2 in an on-field ceremony. The trio has won four straight conference titles and nearly 90 percent of their softball games since they entered TMP-Marian. ... Colby, with two losses, is the No. 1 seed in the Class 4A Pratt regional that starts Monday. ... The Monarchs finished their third straight season undefeated at home. They have not lost a home game since they dropped two to Great Bend on April 8, 2005.