SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Senior Madi Bentley was dominant in her final high school start in the circle and it was a driving force in leading top-ranked Diamond to the program’s first ever state championship as the Wildcats defeated defending state champ Skyline 6-4 in the Class 2 state title game on Tuesday at the Killian Sports Complex.
Skyline (22-5) struck first with a run in the bottom of the second inning before Diamond (29-3) tied it up with a single tally in the third inning. The Wildcats scored the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth inning before pushing across four runs in the seventh frame to build a five-run lead. The Tigers made it interesting in the last of the seventh, scoring three times and leaving the tying run on base when the final out was made.
Bentley earned the complete-game win after allowing four runs on six hits, two walks and eight strikeouts in seven innings.
Jadyn Foster took the complete-game loss after allowing six runs on 11 hits, a walk and five strikeouts in seven innings.
After Bentley, committed to Southwest Baptist, struck out the first five batters she faced, looking for a sixth, Skyline’s Grace Edge ripped an inside two-strike pitch down the line in left off the foul pole for a two-out solo home run for a 1-0 advantage.
Diamond answered back in the top of the third inning when Grace Frazier singled to right field with two outs before stealing second and third to get in scoring position. Caitlyn Suhrie followed with a run-scoring double down the left-field line to tie the game at 1-1.
Suhrie led off the top of the sixth with a single to right field before moving to second on a stolen base and advancing to third on the same play after an error on Skyline. Bentley followed with an RBI single to center field to plate the go-ahead run for a 2-1 lead. Lexy Bridges doubled to left in the next at-bat to put runners at second and third with no outs in the inning, but Skyline got out of the jam without another run touching home to keep the deficit at one run.
Kabrie Parmley singled to lead off the top of the seventh for Diamond before Lauren Turner followed with a single and moved to second on the throw to put runners at second and third with no outs for the second straight inning. Frazier followed with a single to right field to plate an insurance run for a 3-1 lead. Bridges capped the scoring with a two-out three-run home run over the wall in straight away center field to push the lead to 6-1 lead.
Skyline threatened in the bottom of the seventh inning, loading the bases with one out on a walk and two hits before a second walk in the inning forced home a run. Kalli Edison followed with a shallow single to right field to bring a run home and cut the lead to 6-3 with the bases remaining loaded. Autumn Baldwin singled up the middle in the next at-bat to score a run, but a second run was cut down at the plate for the second out of the inning with the Wildcats’ lead sitting at 6-4. Bentley induced a popup on the infield for the final out to clinch her team’s first ever state title.
Turner had three hits, including a double, and scored a run, while Bridges doubled and homered to go along with three RBI and a run scored. Frazier had two hits, scored twice and drove in one. Suhrie doubled on the way to two hits, an RBI and a run scored.
