Prep softball: Redettes edge Mustangs on final play

BLOOMFIELD — No one knows just how tough it is night after night to get a South Central Conference softball win this season better than Alex Belloma and the Centerville Redettes.

In just the first half of conference play, the Redettes have been involved in four games that were decided in the seventh inning or later. Centerville scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to walk off with a comeback win over then-No. 13 (3A) Chariton, lost 2-1 in 11 innings to Knoxville in a game that was scoreless thru 10 and held off No. 10 (2A) Cardinal last Friday, 12-10, as the Comets brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh after trailing by nine runs after just two innings.

Add one more to the highlight reel of the SCC's most dramatic summer of softball involving the Redettes. Centerville edged Davis County, 5-4, on Tuesday night in a game literally decided on the final play at the plate as Kenly Shilling threw out Adalyn Hobbs trying to score from second after dropping what would have been a sensational throw from Payden Hoffman at second base trying to record a game-ending force out.

"We just had to keep fighting to the end," Centerville head softball coach Alex Belloma said. "Kenly didn't give up on that ball. She got it and made a good, strong throw home to Rylee. It's little things like that you can look back to when you think about what kind of a season you've had. We overcame some mistakes and, in the end, made a good play to earn a win."

The final play of the game saw Hoffman make diving stop on a two-out ground ball hit by Ashlyn Olinger with Hobbs at second and Hallie Husted at first, preventing the ball from reaching the outfield for what surely would have been a game-tying RBI single. After making the stop, Hoffman tossed the ball while laying in the dirt to Shilling attempting to force out Husted to end the game.

Instead, the ball was bobbled as Husted reached second, preventing the Redettes from getting game-ending force. Hobbs sprinted around third base as Shilling recovered the ball and immediately threw to Rylee Shilling, allowing the Centerville catcher to tag out Hobbs well in front of home plate.

"When were in the bottom of the seventh and we're up by a run, I know I just need to get my glove down and be ready for the ball," Hoffman said. "I made some errors earlier in the game, but I know I needed to come through when it was needed. I trust Kenly anytime I need to get the ball to her.

"When (Olinger) first hit it, I thought it was definitely getting through. When I realized I could get to it, I just hustled. I had to make sure I actually had it in my glove, then I flipped it over to Kenly. She might have bobbled it at first, but she came through to get the girl out at home."

The play developed so quickly that Davis County head softball coach Joe Rasmussen initially waved Hobbs around before throwing up his hands to signal the Mustang freshman to stop at third base. Hobbs was already headed for home before attempting to stop in front of Rylee Shilling in a last-ditch attempt to scramble back to third.

"I probably put my hands up too late, but I also thought the ball rolled further away from (Shilling) than it actually had," Rasmussen said. "It still takes a heck of a play to get that out at home. Sometimes, you take a chance on something happening and maybe you can score the tying and winning runs. I told the girls after the game I should have held Adalyn up, so that's on me. It still took a perfect throw to win it."

Hoffman countered a pair of fielding errors earlier in the game, including one that helped spark a four-run rally in the third inning by Davis County, by hitting her third home run in five games for the Redettes. Hoffman was able to score the tying run in the sixth inning after doubling in Kiera Klum, coming home on a Davis County error to tie the game at 4-4.

"I've just been looking for good pitches to hit and good pitches to drive out to the outfield," Hoffman said. "I'm swinging with a lot more confidence. When I swing, I'm just hoping I can hit a ball out to the outfield gap."

Lydia Barker kept the game tied through six innings by striking out Rylee Shilling, one of six strikeouts through six innings for the Davis County sophomore pitcher. Barker struck out Brynlee Carney to open the fifth before retiring Kenly Shilling on a pop up before Matt Kovacevich extended the Centerville seventh with a single up the middle.

That brought up Klum, who had reached twice in three trips to the plate over the first six innings. The Centerville senior delivered another clutch hit for the Redettes, driving a pitch out into left-center field for a go-ahead RBI triple plating Kovacevich to put Centerville up 5-4.

"Every single game, it seems like either Kenly or Matty get on and I come up with two outs and a chance to bring them in," Klum said. "I just know I have to come up a be a big team leader with my bat. That's what I have to do. It knew I could get a big hit. I just had to find that outside corner pitch and drive it somewhere."

Addie McClure singled to open the bottom of the seventh for Davis County, immediately putting the tying run on base. Day reached after grounding into a fielder's choice before moving to second on Barker's hit, ultimately being forced out at third by Hoffman on a ground ball hit by Husted.

"I knew that, every time that ball was hit to Payden, I knew there was a chance the ball might be coming to me," Klum said. "I got in position to be ready for her to make those throws."

Hobbs, running for Barker, reached second base on the Day force out setting up Ollinger for the dramatic ground ball up the middle that turned into a game-ending 6-4-2 force out. Amazingly, it's the type of play that Centerville has prepared for throughout the season.

"We practice things like that a lot. We work on making those throws home to get the runner out," Klum said. "We were prepared to make the play. I think it speaks a lot to how much we've grown that we were able to come through like that with the game on the line."

Centerville (8-6, 5-2 SCC) heads to Chariton for a key conference contest on Thursday after hosting eighth-ranked (3A) Washington on Wednesday. Davis County (3-12, 1-6 SCC) hosts conference-leading Knoxville on Friday.