Rising to the occasion last week helped the Hays Rebel softball team power its way into the second round of the playoffs.

An aggressive approach at the plate, mixed with strong pitching, allowed Hays to eliminate the San Antonio Madison Mavericks 10-5 and 13-3 in a two-game sweep.

With the wins, Hays advances to play San Antonio Brennan in a best-of-3 area round playoff series. Game 1 is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m., while Game 2 is set for Saturday at noon. If necessary, Game 3 will be at 2:3...