It might be one of the most improbable walk-off wins you’ll ever see on a softball diamond, but it was certainly a memorable way to end Joplin softball’s home opener.
The Eagles came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning trailing McDonald County 3-2. Junior Bailey Ledford singled up the middle before senior Izzy Yust reached base with a bunt hit to put runners on first and second. Following a pair of flyouts, Ledford stole third base to put runners on the corners when sophomore Abby Lowery went opposite field with a two-out single to right-center to plate Ledford, tying the game at 3-3.
With the winning run on third base, senior Jill McDaniel—who earned the win in the circle for the Eagles—popped a ball straight up the shoot in front of home plate, with the ball ricocheting off the catcher’s mitt and falling to the turf as the winning run touched home plate for a 4-3 Joplin victory on Tuesday at the JHS Athletic Complex.
“I am just proud that this year this team has already demonstrated the ability to fight time and time again,” first-year Joplin coach Brenden Schneider said. “They just show up to the park and play, and you could see that from the beginning. They got down two runs early, but there was no give. Our shoulders were high and our heads were up. We were just going to play and let the chips fall where they may.”
With the win Joplin improves to 5-1 on the young season after a 4-1 showing at the Kickoff Classic tournament hosted by Aurora.
IN THE CIRCLE
McDaniel went the distance, earning the win after allowing three unearned runs on four hits, 11 strikeouts and four walks on 110 pitches.
“She is demonstrating more and more each game of what you want to see in the mentality of a varsity pitcher,” Schneider said about his starter’s ability to shake off the two-run first and finish the game out as the winning pitcher. “She is not letting little things get to her. … I think her belief in her teammates and their belief in her is the thing that helps us the most. … Jill, having pitched such a great game, it was a little poetic that she found a way to win the game at the plate as well.”
Junior Nevaeh Dodson took the tough-luck loss for the Mustangs after allowing four runs, two earned, on seven hits, four walks and 11 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
HOW WE GOT THERE
McDonald (1-1) took advantage of three walks and a miscue by Joplin to score a pair of runs on passed balls for an early 2-0 advantage in the top of the first inning.
Joplin cut the lead in half in its first at-bat, with sophomore Riley Kelly doubling to left-center field to plate Jaydn Pankow, who reached with a single to center, to make the score 2-1.
“You are kind of stopping their momentum a little bit by getting that run,” Schneider said. “That double was huge. Our girls do such a good job of just finding a way.”
The Eagles clawed their way back to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when Ledford drew a two-out walk to reach base. She advanced to second on a wild pitch and took an aggressive turn around second, forcing a throw from home to third, which got away and allowed Ledford to score for a 2-2 tie.
“Finding ways to scrape runs across is critical,” Schneider said. “For Bailey Ledford, to be smart enough and aggressive enough to get to third base and then just decide to take home, too. Then, she steals third at the end on her own. That is a varsity player doing varsity player things. That was a great job by her.”
The Mustangs rallied back in the top of the sixth inning when senior Amanda Pacheco came up with a pinch-hit RBI single to right field to score the runner from second for a 3-2 advantage.
IN THE BOX
Ledford, Kelly and Lowery each doubled and had two hits apiece for the Eagles. Ledford scored twice, while Kelly and Lowery each picked up an RBI.
Dodson and junior Katelynn Townsend each had hits and scored a run for the Mustangs.
ON DECK
Joplin is on the road against Cassville on Thursday.
McDonald County hosts Marshfield on Thursday.
