Diamond Wildcats earn Class 2 state title in comeback fashion

May 21—SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Diamond had to battle back from a 5-3 deficit in the seventh inning to tie the game and force extra innings. Then it picked up three runs in the eighth to complete the comeback and give pitcher Caitlyn Suhrie an 8-5 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth.

Suhrie retired Kennett's batters in order with a strikeout, pop out to the catcher and another strikeout, and celebrations began as the Wildcats (38-1) met in the middle of the infield as Class 2 state champions.

"We had the mentality that we were going to get a win and weren't going to give up on that," Suhrie said.

Diamond hasn't given up on a game all postseason despite being tested a couple of times. In the Class 2 District 6 championship, the Wildcats trailed 3-2 to Mount Vernon in the fifth inning. They scored three runs in the fifth to take the lead and went on to win. On Monday, they trailed 3-2 in the fifth and scored 10 to make a comeback.

"Two of the other coaches we play a lot texted me and said, 'Hey, stop being a heartbreaker,'" Diamond head coach Kelsey Parrish said. "I feel like that's the tone we've set. I just never give up on my girls. They're going to take it all the way to the last out."

Not only did Suhrie get the last three outs of the game, she did the damage in the top of the eighth to put Diamond on top.

There were two outs in the inning and Sara Roszell and Kabrie Parmley were on base after drawing walks. Suhrie roped a single over the head of the third baseman into left field.

The left fielder came on quickly but misplayed the ball, and it rolled past her. That allowed Parmley to round third and head for home behind Roszell. Roszell scored easily, and the throw being late and off line allowed Parmley to score easily.

Suhrie rounded second and saw the throw going home and was able to make third. With the errant throw, Suhrie even raced home and slid in safely before the ball could be corralled and thrown back to the plate to get her out.

"I just told her to watch the throw. And then she took a step and I was like: 'Yes. Do it,'" Parrish said. "I preach that if I say something, it's too late. And (Suhrie) is one of them that believes in that. So she's one step ahead."

This program has now won two state championships in three seasons. Parrish talked about what her girls have been able to do for the softball team the last three years.

"Oh, my gosh. These girls just buy in and they invest and they work, and it shows. It shows what they're capable of. They believe in each other. Great things are happening in Diamond, and I'm just proud of them."

Kennett (27-9) took the lead with four runs in the fourth inning and held the advantage up until Diamond tied it in the seventh. Kennett head coach Logan Dollins talked about what he saw from his team.

"I thought we battled and gave ourselves a chance to win, just couldn't pull it off in the end," Dollins said. "That's what happens when you play really good teams like Diamond."

His junior pitcher, Handley McAtee, held Diamond's offense in check outside of a three-run third inning until the last two innings where the Wildcats flipped the momentum back to their side.

"She commanded the strike zone, had good movement on her pitches, got a lot of swings and misses and just really attacked them," Dollins said.

McAtee struck out seven batters and allowed six earned runs on 10 hits and four walks. She pitched all eight innings.

"We came out, and we were ready to play. We fought hard, and sometimes it doesn't go our way," McAtee said. "I feel like we gave it all we had. We swung it well and played great defense. That's all you can ask."

The third inning started with Diamond laying down back-to-back bunts by Parmley and Grace Frazier. Both plays were close at first base, but both calls went Diamond's way as the first-base umpire called them safe. Then Suhrie hit a shot to third base that went off the glove of the diving Indian infielder. Everyone was safe, and the bases were full.

With two outs, Lauren Turner doubled to right-center field and cleared the bases to make it 3-0.

Turner's defense made a difference in this game as well. She made a diving stop on the first batter of the game. McAtee hit a hard grounder to her right and Turner stopped it with a diving play, got up on her knees and fired a throw to first. Without that stop, the next batter's single could have begun an early rally.

And with freshman Taelyn Reeder starting the game in the circle that could have caused some nerves on the big stage in the Class 2 state championship.

Turner leaped to snare a rocket line drive off the bat of Kennett's Hadley Wilson. If Wilson's hit got into the outfield, it would have been guaranteed to be a double and score one or two runs. Instead, Reeder was able to pitch out of a jam in the third and allow only one run to cross later that inning.

"I've always been taught defense first. I think about being ready every pitch. I do the same thing before every pitch," Turner said. "I'm just really proud of my team and everyone that got us here because it wasn't just those plays that won us the game."

Reeder ran into more trouble in the fourth and with the bases loaded and two outs, Parrish decided to stick with her freshman. The Indians' Lauren Barton singled into center field and brought two runs across to tie the game.

Parrish then went to Suhrie. Suhrie allowed a triple to Wilson that scored two more to make it 5-3 Kennett. The hit from Wilson was a long fly ball to right field that hung up and nearly gave right fielder Roszell enough time to make a diving catch. Without the wind, you're probably talking about a three-run homer.