C2SB State Final: Diamond rallies late to top Kennett in 8 innings

SPRINGFIELD – Two outs.

That is all the Kennett High School softball team needed to get against Diamond High School on Tuesday at the Killian Softball Complex in Springfield, and those outs would have secured the Indians’ place in MSHSAA lore as the 2024 Class 2 State Champions.

However, there are reasons as to why the Wildcats have won two state titles in the past three springs, and they demonstrated that in rallying from a 5-3 deficit to beat Kennett 8-5 in eight innings in the MSHSAA Class 2 Softball State Championship game.

“Diamond is a great team up and down the lineup,” fourth-year Indian coach Logan Dollins said following the loss. “I’m just so proud and thankful for (our players). It was a great season on our part.”

In many ways, Tuesday was a great day on Kennett’s part, as well.

Diamond (38-1) hadn’t lost to a Missouri-based team all season and had only been taken into extra innings once this spring. However, it was Kennett, who showed toughness and bravado to initially rally and have the Wildcats on the ropes in the seventh inning.

After Diamond took a 3-0 lead in the third inning, the Indians (25-9) fought back with a run in the bottom of that inning and four more in the fourth inning to take a 5-3 lead.

“Realistically,” Dollins said of his players, “they wanted this game.”

That is stunning.

In early April, these two teams met, and the Wildcats rolled Kennett 11-1 in six innings.

“For them to come out and want to compete,” Dollins said, “I knew that in warmups. There wasn’t a whole lot of talking going on. They were focused.”

The Indians got on board in the third inning as junior Handley McAtee singled and moved up a bag when junior Lauren Barton reached on a Diamond error.

With two outs, junior Emma Tinnin scored McAtee with a single to trim Kennett’s deficit to 3-1.

Indian junior Emma Bodkin drew a one-out walk in the fourth inning and took second on a two-out single from senior Kaydee Taylor. McAtee loaded the bases with a single, which was followed by a two-RBI double from Barton.

“The best part was that we were down 3-0,” Dollins said, “and we cut it to 3-1, and then 3-3, and found ways to get back into the ball game.”

Kennett grabbed a 5-3 lead in the fourth inning when senior Hadley Wilson tripled off Diamond relief pitcher Caitlyn Suhrie immediately, which scored McAtee and Barton.

In the seventh inning, McAtee was in the process of finishing a complete game on the mound and allowed a lead-off single.

That hit was followed by another, but she then managed to get a ground out.

A third single in the inning pulled Diamond to within 5-4, and then another single tied the game.

“Handley kept us in the ball games all year,” Dollins said. “A lot of people don’t know this about Handley, but she is a workhorse.”

Diamond scored three runs in its final at-bat, before shutting Kennett down in the eighth inning to secure the championship.

Over two days, McAtee threw 15 innings and nearly 250 pitches, and the Wildcats took advantage of that workload late.

Of the 10 hits that McAtee allowed six came in the final two innings, as did five of her six earned runs, and two of her four walks.

“There is no one, in my opinion,” Dollins said of McAtee, “I would ever want anyone other than (McAtee) in the circle, for me.”

McAtee ultimately struck out seven Wildcat batters in eight innings.

Offensively, McAtee had a couple of hits to pace Kennett, as well as two runs scored.

Wilson added two hits, and an RBI for the Indians while Barton (one hit, one run, two RBI), Tinnin (two hits, one RBI), sophomore Kynsly McKaig (one hit), freshman Avery Payne (one hit), Bodkin (one run, one walk), and Taylor (one hit, one run) also contributed.

Kennett sophomore Baylee Wilcut added a stolen base.

The Indians graduate Taylor and Wilson, who have been a part of four Indian teams that have made three Final Fours, finishing third in 2021 and 2022, before moving up to second this season.

“Those two are unselfish, great people,” Dollins said of his seniors.