Wildcats make comeback, claim Class 2 District 6 title
May 7—MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — No. 1 Diamond trailed No. 2 Mount Vernon in the bottom of the fifth inning on Tuesday in Mount Vernon for the Class 2 District 6 softball championship game.
The Wildcats (35-1) were behind 3-2 but managed three runs off of Mountaineers relief pitcher Emmie Schubert and held on for the 5-3 win.
"We knew Mount Vernon wasn't going to take it easy on us. It's just how we always play them," Diamond head coach Kelsey Parrish said. "They're a really good team. Our girls just don't give up."
"I thought it was a really well-played game on both sides. I thought both pitchers made good pitches. Hitters had good at-bats. Each team made plays defensively. It was a well-played game. They made a few more plays in the fifth inning to take the lead," Mount Vernon head coach Matt Schubert said.
The fifth inning began with leadoff batter Grace Frazier drawing a walk. With one out, Lauren Turner lofted a ball into shallow left field. The Mountaineers' left fielder came on quickly and had the ball in her mitt, it appeared, before it bounced out and fell to the grass.
With two on and just one out, freshman Taelyn Reeder roped a ball into left field that went all the way to the fence. Both Frazier and Turner scored on the hit and Reeder pulled into second base with a two-RBI double.
"Man, she did a great job. She worked her zone really, really well and kept them at bay," Parrish said.
Coach added some thought on going to her freshman to start the district title game.
"I just believe in them (all players)," she added.
Schubert had his outfield defense shifted toward right field all game when Reeder was at the plate. It paid off in the third inning when she lined a ball right at the center fielder positioned in right-center field.
This time, she yanked the low-and-outside pitch directly into left field and would have been held to a single and likely no runs scored if the Mountaineers had played it straight up.
Diamond added a fifth run on a ground out to the pitcher from Marissa DeJager that scored Reeder from third base.
Reeder also started in the circle for Diamond and was able to limit Mount Vernon to just three runs on three hits and two walks in four innings. The hits were two doubles and a solo home run.
"Yes, there were definitely nerves," Reeder said. "But I knew if they hit the ball my team was going to back me up."
Caitlyn Suhrie pitched the last three frames and didn't allow any offense, just two hits and three walks.
Mount Vernon's starting pitcher Cheyenne Bieber held Diamond to two runs on three hits, one walk and a hit batter.
Bieber had two hits with a double, solo home run and scored twice. Rae Downing went 1 for 3 with a double and an RBI and was walked once.
Mount Vernon (27-9) went on to win a state championship last year after beating Diamond 7-6 in the district championship.
The Wildcats will face Forsyth next Tuesday at Diamond in the state sectional game. The Panthers (17-15) beat Sparta for the Class 2 District 5 championship.
"We know they're going to have slower pitching, so that's what we'll be working on tomorrow, when it's raining, in the gym. And we get to host it, so that makes it more exciting," Parrish said.
