C1SB 3rd-Place Game: Holcomb explodes late on Bernie in rout

SPRINGFIELD – Bernie High School softball coach Brad Botsch had just one point of emphasis for his team as it prepared for its final outing of the 2024 spring season on Monday.

“The only way that I’ll be disappointed in these kids,” Botsch explained, “is if they don’t come out (against Holcomb) and give 110 percent.”

The Mules absolutely did that, as they faced the Hornets in the MSHSAA Class 1 Third-Place game at the Killian Softball Complex in Springfield, even though, the 14-3 Holcomb victory may not indicate that to those who didn’t watch the game.

Holcomb scored 10 runs in the seventh inning to turn a 4-3 margin into a 14-3 rout, as the Bernie squad wilted from exhaustion mentally and physically in the final inning of the year.

“The game was tight,” Botsch said. “It was 4-3, and the floodgates just opened. We couldn’t shut them down and you have to give Holcomb credit.”

The Hornets (26-5) connected for 13 hits in the win, but 10 of them came in the final inning, as Mule sophomore pitcher Blair Pleimling’s arm tired from having played 14 innings that day. Conversely, Holcomb had the depth (and talent) necessary to utilize three arms, including senior Jaden Bowen, who threw five innings in the nightcap after working 2 2/3 innings in the earlier semifinal loss to Concordia.

Bowen didn’t allow an earned run while giving up four hits, two walks, and striking out two.

The Hornets threw freshmen Khloe Furlow and Addison Elliott each an inning to close the game.

The victory allowed Holcomb to be one of just two teams in Class 1 to end its season with a victory.

“That was 100 percent our message before the game,” Hornet coach Matt Casper said.

The Hornets got a couple of hits from five different players, including sophomore leadoff hitter Ava Gurley, who tallied two hits, scored twice, and had a pair of RBI.

Hornet senior Katelyn Danley added two hits and two runs while junior Chloe Hendrix (two hits, one run, one RBI, one walk), sophomore Ella Lemings (two hits, one run, two RBI), and senior Jasmine White (two hits, one run, one walk, one RBI), senior Maleigh Lemings (one hit, two runs, three RBI, one walk), Elliott (two runs, one RBI, one walk), senior Jules Gurley (one hit, two runs, one RBI, one walk), junior Emma Bader (one walk), and sophomore Katelynn Sweaney (one hit, one run, one RBI) also contributed.

Ava Gurley, Ella Lemings, Jules Gurley, and Maleigh Lemings each had doubles in the win while Hendrix stole two bases and Ella Lemings and Danley each had one.

Sophomore Lexi Dillinger paced Bernie (22-11-1) with two hits, as did junior Rylie Powell while junior Macie Botsch (one run, one walk), sophomore Mackenzie Meese (one RBI), junior Kalea Powell (one walk), and sophomore Kalli Mason (one run, two walks) also were productive.

Powell chipped in a double while Dillinger stole a base.

“Holcomb just smoked the ball,” Botsch said, “and that seventh inning (by Holcomb) didn’t give us much of a chance to really even do much in the end.”

Holcomb’s trip to the Final Four was its third in four seasons while the Mules capped their season by advancing this far for the first time in program history.