Chaffee falls to Naylor in district title game

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Chaffee saw its three-run lead turn into a four-run deficit heading into the seventh and final inning Wednesday in the Class 1 District 1 championship game at Three Rivers Community College.

The Red Devils put together a rally of their own, getting the tying run to third base before Naylor shortstop Chelsey Ridgon scooped up a ground ball and stepped on second base for the final out of a wild 8-7 win by the Eagles.

"If it was just a little bit more to the right there, it's a tie ball game," Chaffee coach AJ Horn said.

"Just luck of the draw, sometimes you hit it sometimes you don't."

Playing in the program's first final since last winning the title in 2005, Chaffee jumped ahead with a run in the top of the first inning and led 4-0 before Naylor got a run back in the fifth.

The Red Devils (9-14) were six defensive outs from the title up 4-1 when Naylor (18-9) rallied by sending 12 batters to the plate.

"They just got up there and got patient at the plate," Naylor coach Gene Deckard said.

Julia Sutterfield was 3 for 4, including a two-run homer in the second and a double to start the seventh for Chaffee. Kylie Wibite's RBI single and bases-loaded walks by Cierra Crites and Taylor Crites cut the deficit to a run and put the tying and go-ahead runs into scoring position. Jessie Evans, Chaffee's No. 9 hitter who had a line-drive hit in the second, hit a 2-1 pitch up the middle but within Ridgon's range.

"The last inning we tried to battle back," Horn said. "I applaud my kids for not quitting. They didn't quit the whole game."

Kaitlin McFerron's one-out RBI hit to the center field wall put Chaffee up 1-0 in the first, but the Red Devils stranded runners at the corners on a pop fly and strikeout.

Evans lined a two-out single before Sutterfield's homer over the center field fence in the second for a 3-0 lead.

Taylor Crites made it 4-0 in the fourth with a single to right but Chaffee left runners stranded in scoring position on a strikeout.

McFerron was robbed of a home run by center fielder Kayla Johnson in the top of the fifth.

Naylor got a run back in the bottom of the fifth and had the bases loaded when second baseman Taylor Crites fielded a grounder and flipped from her knees to Sutterfield at second base to end the inning.

"She made about three plays or this game is busted wide open," Deckard said of Crites.

Two hits and a walk loaded the bases to start the bottom of the sixth before Kabrien Rogers hit a two-run single over the right fielder's head. After a safety squeeze tied it, Lauryn Davis, Naylor's No. 9 hitter, grounded out to the second baseman to push across the go-ahead run.

After consecutive two-out hits, Naylor scored two runs on the same wild pitch. Brooklyn Urich scored first and Callee Pickrell followed when the throw to the plate got past pitcher Kylie Wilbrite.

"They started coming around and hit the ball," Horn said. "We knew they would, it was just a matter of time."

Carleigh Burnett allowed just one hit and one walk through the first four innings. She ended up with two strikeouts, three walks and six runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Naylor's Shayna Tharp struck out six, walked four and allowed 11 hits.

The Eagles were playing in their sixth straight district final, having won four straight ending in 2012.

Chaffee hadn't won a district playoff game since 2010 but reached the final by upsetting second-seeded Van Buren 2-0 on Thursday. The teams were to play later that night, but rain postponed the final nearly a week.

"They played well," Horn said. "I'm very proud of them, couldn't be more ecstatic for them as seniors going out this way."

Chaffee 120 100 3 -- 7 11 3

Naylor 000 017 x -- 8 11 0

WP -- Shayna Tharp (N). LP: Carleigh Burnett. HR: Julia Sutterfield (C). 2B: Sutterfield. Multiple hits: Sutterfield 3-4. Kaitlin McFerron (C) 2-4. Taylor Crites (C) 2-3. Brooklyn Urich (N) 2-4. Gracie Gargac (N) 2-4. Lauren Rich (N) 2-4. Chelsey Ridgon (N) 2-2.