NEOSHO, Mo. — As Haidyn Berry rounded the bases, with the game just minutes old, the Webb City senior was well aware of what she’d just accomplished.
The large smile on her face and the loud cheers from the visitors dugout told the story—this was no ordinary home run.
On the second pitch of her first at-bat in the top of the first inning, Berry launched a line drive over the left field fence for her 14th homer of the season.
With that, Berry is now the Webb City High School softball program’s single-season home run record-holder.
“I knew I broke the record and it was really exciting,” Berry said. “I saw my teammates cheering for me in the dugout and that got me even more fired up. It was just awesome.”
Berry’s record-setting performance was the main highlight as Webb City earned a convincing 14-4 victory over Neosho on Tuesday in a key Central Ozark Conference softball showdown at the Neosho Athletic Complex.
Berry entered the day tied with Nicole Hudson with 13 home runs. Hudson, who went on to have a standout career at the University of Missouri, set the Webb City school record in 2006.
The team’s No. 3 hitter, Berry came to the plate with two runners on-base in the top of the first against Neosho starting pitcher Phenix Scott.
On a 0-1 count, Berry connected with a fastball, depositing the ball over the left field fence.
“It was right down the pipe and I took it for a ride,” Berry said. “She gave me something to hit and I didn’t waste the pitch.”
Berry received a fist bump from Cardinals coach Shauna Friend as she rounded third base and headed for home plate, where three of her teammates waited to help celebrate the historic moment.
“It’s such an accomplishment because Nicole Hudson is a legend at Webb City,” said Berry, last year’s COC Player of the Year. “So it means the world to me to be connected with her. It’s an awesome feeling.”
Coach Friend noted Berry now has her place in the record book.
“I think it’s a great accomplishment and I know she’s worked hard for it,” Friend said. “She’s put in many years of practice and hard work. She’s very deserving and she’s always a team player.”
Berry, who added home run No. 15 in the fourth inning, still has plenty of time to reach and possibly surpass the state’s all-time leader in single-season homers. Hillsboro’s Carlie Sanders hit 21 in 2017.
The Cardinals have five regular season games remaining before the postseason begins. As her senior season winds down, Berry noted she’s more concerned with team goals than individual accolades.
“If I get it, I get it,” Berry said of the state record. “For me, it’s all about winning ball games with my teammates. We want a district title and then we want a state title. We don’t want to fall short this year.”
Webb City hiked its record to 20-2 overall and 7-0 in the COC.
“We wanted to stay perfect in the conference, so this is a big win for us,” Friend said.
Neosho (13-5, 4-2 COC) had won eight straight games ahead of the contest. Webb City edged Neosho 6-5 at Joplin’s tournament earlier this season, but the rematch was not as close.
GAME RECAP
After Berry’s three-run homer, Hannah Wells added an RBI single to give the Cardinals an early 4-0 lead.
The Wildcats responded with two runs in the bottom of the first. Lili Graue was hit by a pitch, McKaylie Forrest singled and then an error allowed two runs to cross the plate.
Webb City’s Emalee Lamar hit a two-run homer in the second, and Brynna Cupp’s RBI single made it 7-2 in the third.
Berry smacked a solo home run off the scoreboard in center in the fourth, giving the visitors a six-run cushion.
Neosho didn’t quit. The Wildcats scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Sierra Jones, Abbie Carpenter and Alivia Campbell all singled, with Carpenter and Campbell both reaching on bunts. Brittany Winchester’s sac fly drove in a run before the Cardinals committed an error after another Neosho bunt.
The Cardinals turned a double play to end the inning.
Webb City blew the game open with a six-run seventh. Emma Welch delivered a two-run single up the middle, Lamar added a sac fly and then Alyssa Jennings launched a three-run home run to right-center.
The Cardinals scored their 14 runs on 19 hits, pushing across runs in five of seven innings.
“It was good to see us put up numbers like that,” Friend said.
At the plate, Berry went 4-for-4 with a walk. Berry was also the winning pitcher, as she surrendered just four hits and struck out nine.
“Haidyn had a great game all-around,” Friend said. “She dominated the game in the circle and was on-base five times. That’s a great day.”
Cupp went 3-for-4, while Peyton Hawkins, Welch, Lamar, Jennings and Wells all had two hits apiece. Berry drove in four runs, while Lamar and Jennings had three RBI apiece and Welch drove in two.
The Cardinals have now hit 38 homers this fall, which is tied for the fourth-most in MSHSAA history. The record is 52 (Hillsboro, 2017).
Forrest, Jones, Carpenter and Campbell had one hit apiece for the Wildcats.
Scott took the loss after allowing four runs on five hits. Winchester went the final 6 2/3 and gave up 10 runs on 14 hits while striking out four.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Webb City has another key COC clash at Republic on Thursday. Neosho is at Nixa on Thursday.
