Central drops heartbreaker, 6-5

The Central softball team led until the final inning in its Class 4 District 1 championship game against Hillsboro.

But it took just three at-bats for that lead to vanish.

Central senior pitcher Kadie Orenstein had two strikes on Hillsboro's Leslie McKeever, who fouled off six pitches to stay alive, before McKeever hit a three-run home run over the left-field fence on a 1-2 pitch.

"We were ready for that. She was a good hitter, but we knew she was going to fight," Central coach Amy Blattel said about McKeever. "KO [Orenstein] got ahead in the count and we knew she was going to battle. She went after a good pitch and hit a good pitch. There's nothing that anybody can do about that. She just went after a pitch and hit it."

The blast by McKeever, who was batting in the leadoff spot in the Hawks' lineup, scored Kayla Christian and Amber Peterson. Christian opened the inning with an infield single and Peterson followed with a bunt single.

Top-seeded Central still had an opportunity to tie or regain the lead, but the Tigers stranded a runner at second as the third-seeded Hawks won 6-5.

"Sometimes batters just get a hold of balls, and she did and she took it all the way," Orenstein said. "Things like this happen in games. I knew we had the bottom of the inning left and there was still fight left at that point."

LAURA SIMON lsimon@semissourian.com (Central pitcher Kadie Orenstein embraces teammate Megan Smith after the Tigers’ loss to Hillsboro in the Class 4 District 1 championship game Monday at Central. Hillsboro won 6-5.)

Orenstein led off the bottom of the seventh and knew she had to stay relaxed.

"I wasn't looking for a home run," Orenstein said. "I was looking for a base hit and I knew that things like base hits are what can keep a team alive, so I just knew that I needed to get on base."

She did just that when she doubled to the fence in center field off starter Laney Webb, but Hillsboro brought in Kaycee Gills, who was able to close out the game with three consecutive outs.

"Our girls fought all the way through to the last out, and that's all you can ask for," Blattel said. "We talked about fighting all season long, and that's what they did. Hillsboro came out and got the hits when they needed to get the hits. I am very proud of our girls. We fought all the way through."

The Tigers jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first two innings.

The first three Central batters reached on errors in the first inning, and Sarah Kitchen walked to force home Madison Daum.

Morgan Duschell drove in two runs with a double to left field in the second inning. Orenstein singled to center field with two outs to score Duschell but was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double.

The Hawks cut into the lead with two runs in the fourth. Central then committed three errors in the fifth to help Hillsboro close the gap to 4-3.

Central scored its final run in the fifth inning, which ended with a controversial call.

Orenstein led off the inning with a single to right field, Kitchen was hit by a pitch and Brooke Anderson reached on an error to load the bases.

Central’s Madison Daum, left, and Amanda Webb score during the second inning of the Tigers’ Class 4 District 1 championship game. More photos from the game can be viewed at semoball.com.

Megan Smith then grounded back to Webb, who threw home to retire Orenstein at the plate. Webb then walked Winnie Smee, forcing home pinch runner Tara Hester.

Hillsboro forced out a Central runner at home with Smith advancing to third on the play. However, Smith was called out to end the inning when she stepped off the bag after the ball was returned to the pitcher in the circle.

"The umpire called a call that in my 15 years [of coaching] I have never had called," Blattel said. "He called 'baiting of the pitcher when she's in the circle.' That's what he called. ... No, I don't agree with that, but there is absolutely nothing I can do about it, nothing that the kids can do about it and that didn't define the game.

"That one call didn't define the game. We left people on base early in the game and we had a couple of runners thrown out at home."

The loss ended Central's season with a record of 16-6.

"Coming into it we knew that it wouldn't be easy," Orenstein said. "This is the game we play for all season long and this is one of the hardest-working group of girls that I've ever been on a team with and I just loved every minute of it. I couldn't ask for more from my team."

Hillsboro (16-11) will play Oakville in the sectional round Wednesday.

Central 130 010 0 5 6 5

Hillsboro 000 210 3 6 6 5

WP -- Laney Webb. LP -- Kadie Orenstein. Leading hitters -- Central: Morgan Duschell 2 RBIs, 2B; Orenstein 2-4, 1 RBI, 2B. Hillsboro: Leslie McKeever 2-4, 3 RBIs, HR, Leah Luthenauer 2B; Hannah Evans 2B. Records -- Central 16-6, Hillsboro 16-11.