Three times on Monday, the Cassville softball team was a single out away from hoisting a second consecutive title — and all three times, the opportunity slipped away.
The No. 2 Lady Wildcats (19-14) fell to No. 1 Nevada by a score of 7-6 in a 13-inning Class 3, District 6 championship lasting more than three hours.
“It came down to execution,” said Jordan savage, Cassville softball coach. “The girls played hard, and they put themselves in every position to win that they could. In games like that it comes down to the team that executes the best and doesn’t give in. Whichever team makes a big play at the end usually comes out on top.
“We had three opportunities, but we just couldn’t do it. Sometimes, that happens.”
The game’s first four innings were a pitcher’s duel, with junior Aubrey Stoufer collecting 6 strikeouts, including 5 in a row over the second and third innings. She finished the game with 13 Ks in 9 innings.
The fourth inning brought the game’s first score, when a toss to third after a bunt got loose and the runner was able to take home. With another bunt loading the bases, Cassville escaped the inning with a 1-2-3 double play and a pop up, down just 1-0.
Cassville’s first hit of the game came off freshman Lili Naugle’s bat, beating the shortstop’s throw on a grounder for a single. Senior Kyla Bowling then drove one over second base to put two runners on, and senior Kyler Hayward battled to a full count and was walked to load the bases.
Stoufer then ripped a hit down the left field line, allowing Naugle and Bowling to score. Senior Kaylee Lowe followed the shot with one of her own that sent Hayward home and gave Cassville a 3-1 lead that held to the bottom of the seventh.
Stoufer struck out the first batter, and after a single by Nevada, Cassville got its second out on a liner to first. Only one out remaining, the Lady Tigers doubled to score one runner, then cracked another hit to send the tying run home.
The situation repeated itself in the 10th inning. A single by Bowling was followed by a hard-hit ball to center field by Hayward, which bounced out of the Nevada player’s glove and put runners on first and third. Stoufer then grounded to the shortstop, but the throw to the catcher was high, allowing Bowling and Hayward to put Cassville up by a pair again, 5-3.
Naugle took over pitching duties in the middle of the 10th, and a walk-single-walk loaded the bases with no outs. A chopper to Elly Ramaeker at third was precisely thrown home to Lowe to keep Nevada at 3 runs, and Naugle struck out the next batter to again put Cassville an out away from a win.
However, a hard grounder to second slipped into the outfield, and Nevada again plated a pair of runs to keep the game going.
The Lady Wildcats took another lead in the 11th, with Ramaeker knocking a single and freshman Madi Yockey being walked to put two on, then Naugle hitting a grounder past the shortstop to send Ramaeker home. A sacrifice bunt by sophomore Tomi Blankenship put Yockey and Naugle on second and third, but this time the Lady Tigers escaped the inning by forcing two pop flys.
Up 6-5, Cassville went to work in the bottom on the frame. Naugle logged another K, and Hayward threw the second batter out, creating the third one-out-to-win scenario.
Alas, after two batters were walked, Nevada popped one high into the center of the infield. Miscommunication between the Lady Wildcats results in the ball dropping and Nevada tying the game once more.
In the 12th, Stoufer singled, but no hits followed. In the bottom of the inning, Nevada managed to get runners on second and third — with Lowe saving a run by collecting a bunt and keeping the runner at third — and Naugle produced a strikeout and throw out at first to stay alive.
A pair of strikeouts, a single and another strikeout ended Cassville’s 13th, and Nevada was ultimately able to finish the game. Cassville got the first out on a grounder to third, but the next batter singled and the third sent a low ball along the left field line to the wall, allowing the baserunner to beat the cut-off throw to home.
The 13-inning contest comes in as the third-longest game in Missouri high school softball history. Pleasant Hill and Helias Catholic played to 21 innings in October 2001, and Hazelwood Central and Pattonville had a 15-inning bout in October 1994.
Savage said being the fourth time Cassville had played Nevada this season, the game’s length was a testament to how well the teams knew one another.
“When you play someone for the fourth time, you know who is in the circle and how to attack,” he said. “We made our adjustments throughout the game and were able to put the ball in play and scratch out some runs.”
Savage has been a part of many-extra-innings ballgame before, but on the baseball side.
“When I was at East Newton, we went 17 innings with Mt. Vernon, but I’ve never been part of anything like that in softball — especially with all the back-and-forth scoring and for a district title.”
Cassville reached the championship game by defeating Harrisonville, 9-1, and Holden, 2-0.
