Fifth-seeded Carthage saw its season come to an end at the hands of top-seeded Raymore-Peculiar in the Class 5 District 7 semifinals at the JHS Athletic Complex on Saturday.
The Panthers used a perfect game in the circle by Kelsie Donaldson and scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth inning, which was the difference in the game.
“We got ourselves in some tough situations there, but defensively there were two or three innings where we made some big plays that got us out of it and kept us within reach at the end of the game,” Carthage coach Stephanie Ray said. “Where all we had to do was get some runners on and put a ball in play and maybe it’s a different ball game. The whole time, we never felt like we were out of it. Our defense was pretty good outside of that one inning. I just wish we could’ve done a little more at the plate.”
Carthage closes the season with an 18-16 record.
“It was fun coming to practice everyday as well as the games because we have a bunch of kids who love playing softball with each other,” Ray said about her team’s season. “We call it a sisterhood. When we face adversity, they just pick each other up. We had a little lull in the middle of the season and we still find ourselves playing in a 1-0 game here with a heck of a ball club just because they believe and trust in each other and us. They are some of the hardest workers I have ever been around. They show up every single day. Whatever we throw at them, they handle and are ready to move on and get to the game.”
The Tigers graduate seniors Shelby Hegwer, Alexis Smith and Brooklynn Dolon-Main.
“This is my 10th year at Carthage, but this was my fourth year as head coach, so this is my first class that I’ve been able to coach from freshmen to seniors,” Ray said. “They’ve been great leaders. I’ve been able to watch them grow from little baby freshmen to three full-time starters doing great things for us by the time they are juniors. They have put a mark on the program. They have accomplished things that a lot of people probably didn’t expect from them except us. They bought into what we are trying to do and it’s helped push us in the right direction to where we are notching almost 20 wins a season now, which is a big deal.”
IN THE CIRCLE
Donaldson pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out 15 on the way to the win.
“She did a good job of getting ahead,” Ray said. “She’d throw the fastball off the plate, get ahead and then just kind of move up in the zone on us and get us to chase a little bit more and a little bit more.”
Addie Wallace was saddled with the tough-luck loss after allowing one unearned run on three hits and a walk in six innings.
“Addie threw a great game,” Ray said. “She was getting on top of batters, mixing it up well and hitting her spots. She brought a little today.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
Ray-Pec took the lead on a Carthage miscue in the bottom of the fourth. Carmen Boxberger led off the inning with a walk before stealing second to get into scoring position. Boxberger came around to score later in the inning when a throw behind her from the catcher in an attempted pickoff went into center field to put the Panthers on top 1-0.
Wallace got out of the jam without any more damage coming home after inducing a 5-3 double play.
“Instead of [letting the run that scored affect her] and falling behind in the count, she continued to attack the zone and trust her defense,” Ray said. “Jenna (Calhoon) made a great play with runners on first and second, ground ball, stepped on it and went to first to get us out of it. And it was a great stretch at first base, too.”
The Panthers looked to add insurance in the bottom of the sixth after the first two batters reached to leadoff the inning. Hayden Kurtz flew out to left with a runner on third and one out, with CHS’ Lexa Youngblood gunning down the runner at the plate to preserve the score at 1-0.
“They skied one, she got behind it and threw her out at the plate and our dugout erupted,” Ray said of the play. “That is something where going into the top of the seventh in a one-run ballgame, that play set us up to make a push there. It got us up and really had us thinking we had a chance to go win this game at the end.”
ON DECK
Ray-Pec takes on second-seeded Neosho in the Class 5 District 7 tournament championship game at 5:30 p.m. on Monday at the JHS Athletic Complex.
