CARTHAGE, Mo. — After beating Willard last Thursday to earn a share of the conference title, the Neosho softball program had a chance to clinch outright ownership of the Central Ozark Conference crown for the first time in school history with a win over Carthage on Monday.
The Wildcats wouldn’t be denied.
Neosho took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning and rode a stellar start from Carleigh Kinnaird before Carthage broke through in the sixth by pushing across the game-tying run. The Wildcats didn’t waver, scoring twice in the top of the eighth inning and keeping the Tigers at bay in the bottom half en route to the 3-1 win in extras in the final conference game of the season.
“I ordered t-shirts on Thursday because we were going to be champions either way, but I was hoping that wasn’t me doing something stupid,” Neosho coach Catie Cummins said with a laugh. “I just wanted to do something to celebrate with them. … They had their eyes set on this game.”
“With all of the cards stacked against us, we took care of business,” Cummins added about how proud she was of her team winning on the road on an unfamiliar dirt surface against a really good area rival. “We went into extras with them last year and were able to walk it off. This year, I wasn’t going to let them do it to us.
Kinnaird was in dominant form in the circle for the Wildcats. She earned the complete-game win after allowing one unearned run on four hits, a walk and 19 strikeouts in eight innings
“Carleigh was nails,” Cummins said of her hurler. “Her only run of the game came in the sixth and then 19 strikeouts. Holy cow. She was nails and got us out of some jams by bowing her neck.”
Addie Wallace took the complete-game loss after allowing three runs, two earned, on 10 hits and eight strikeouts in eight innings.
“Addie did a great job of getting on top early with first-pitch strikes,” Carthage coach Stephanie Ray said. “Her stuff was working tonight. When we got down 1-0 early, she came right back and continued to pound the zone, attacking each batter and going after them. She kept us in the game when our sticks weren’t alive.”
Neosho grabbed the momentum in the top of the second inning when Kinnaird led off the frame with a double before her spot came to score on a fielding error by the Tigers on a fly ball two batters later for a 1-0 Wildcats advantage.
Kinnaird struck out seven of her first nine batters faced before Carthage reached base for the first time in the fourth inning when Ashlyn Brust led off with a single. After back to back strikeouts by Kinnaird, Brooklynn Dolon-Main singled through the left side to put the go-ahead run on base. Kinnaird finished off the inning and ended the threat with her 10th strikeout.
Carthage finally found life on offense in the sixth when Lottie Youngblood singled up the middle with two outs to plate the game-tying run in the form of Brust, who reached on an error, for a 1-1 score.
“Lottie came up with a huge RBI single there to get us tied,” Ray said. “Her pushing that run across, you could hear out dugout. It got them up and excited. We just needed one more base hit.”
After a scoreless seventh inning by both teams, Neosho went to work in the eighth with a leadoff single from Autumn Kinnaird before a sac bunt from Kynden Smith put her at second with one out. Beclynn Garrett gave the Wildcats the lead once more and for the final time with a double to left to plate Kinnaird before Carleigh Kinnaird helped herself out with an RBI single to right field for a 3-1 lead.
“I don’t want it to get overlooked, but Olivia Emery getting on base with two outs in the seventh allowed us to start with the top of the order up in the eighth inning,” Cummins said. “Autumn did a good job of getting on base there and Kynden had a great bunt. Beclynn and Carleigh came up with great hits, and that’s what we expect our leaders to do. Overall, I was really proud of them.”
ON DECK
Neosho (24-6, 8-1 COC) is off until postseason play, taking part in the Class 5 District 7 tournament hosted by Joplin kicking off next Thursday.
“I think we are hitting our stride and throwing well,” Cummins said about her team as they head into the postseason. “Our defense just needs to be a little bit more locked in. That is the only complaint. … Getting any conference championship in the COC is hard. I don’t care what sport it is. For us to get our first one, it’s a big deal for our kids and we are looking forward to what’s next.”
Carthage (14-13, 5-4 COC) takes part in the FCNB Rolla Softball Invitational over the weekend.
“I told them there was nothing to hang their heads about after tonight,” Ray said. “They had a great game and never gave up at any time. We had an opportunity to win it, and I told them this was a good game to get us ready (for the postseason). … We have a lot of girls with a lot of grit and no matter the outcome, they will just step in and be ready to go for the next play or next game.”
