Lady Hornets outlast Lady Bulldogs to claim C1D1 Tourney title

HOLCOMB, Mo. - If it could happen in softball, it happened here Monday.

Those were officials' words about a game that on paper and by their respective teams' records should have been lopsided and the contest nowhere close.

The Holcomb Lady Hornets met South Pemiscot High School Lady Bulldogs young guns at home and rallied to overcome a three-run deficit to win the C1D1 championship for the third time in four years 10-9.

"Star of the Game," Holcomb's No. 44 Maleigh Lemings. Photo by Tim Caldwell.

The final outcome was determined by the very last pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning with a bases loaded walk off, a winning walk, to the star of the game, Lady Hornet Maleigh Lemings.

The Hornets got off to very tough start in the top of the first.

After a routine flyout to centerfield by Lady Bulldogs' leadoff-hitter Ayleighhonna Farmer, a walk to Phoenix Simmons with one out, two stolen bases and a wild pitch, South Pem led 1-0.

A Holcomb defensive error allowed South Pem's Abigail Edwards to reach base. Edwards scored an unearned run on a solid double over the centerfielders' head by Lady Bulldog Mataiya Phillips, which increased the visitors' lead to 2-0.

Another Hornets error allowed a second unearned run, and third of the inning, to score.

Phillips was subsequently picked off first base by Lady Hornets' starting pitcher Addi Elliott, who later coaxed Mia Gonzalez to pop to second to end the inning.

But damage was done. South Pemiscot scored three runs, one earned, on just one hit.

Despite a two-out, bottom-of-the-first single by Holcomb's Lemings, who reached base five times Tuesday, she was left stranded at second after a popout by Chloe Hendrix to second base to end the inning.

In the top of the second, Khloe Furlow relieved Elliott and calmed the storm.

2024 Holcomb Lady Hornet SeniorsPhoto by Tim Caldwell

With her defense behind her tightened and after a leadoff walk to TaKylah Wooden, a forced out and a pickoff of runner Gracyn Trammel at second base, and a third strike bunt attempt by Jayleigh Leathers, the contest resulted in a strange, 1-2-3 bottom of the second for Furlow.

That short inning for South Pem sparked the Hornet offense in the bottom of the inning.

With one out, Addie Elliot walked. A solid double by Jasmine White resulted in an incoming throw to third to try to gun down Elliott, and Elliott was struck by the ball. She was awarded home by virtue of the overthrow, and White was awarded third base.

A talented and tough Lady Hornet, Jules Gurley, failed to advance White. But with two outs a clutch-double came off the bat of ninth-place hitter Katelyn Sweaney and White scored to tie the game at three.

Two of the three runs were unearned due to the costly overthrow at third. The third out of the inning occurred on a flyout to left field by lady Hornet Kaetlyn Danley.

Furlow hit the second batter in the order with one out. Lady Hornet Ella Jane Lemings relieved Furlow and retired the next two batters on pop outs to end the inning.

In the bottom of the third inning with the game knotted at three, Holcomb's Maleigh Lemings led off with a towering blast to left field. The fireball cleared the fence by plenty, the lead belonged to the Hornets for the first time in the contest and Lemings reached base for the second of five straight times.

The Lady Hornets threatened to add to the lead when for the second time each, Elliott and White reached base.

But that was not to be.

Both Lady Hornets were stranded on a Holcomb pop out to close out the inning and the wildness continued into the top of the fourth.

After South Pem's MaLeah Duckworth scored the tying run at four, Mia Gonzalez, after reaching first on a hit, advanced all the way to third on a wild pitch.

But on the next wild pitch, Gonzalez was caught in a run-down between third and home for the first out of the inning.

TaKylah Wooden, who was a Holcomb nemesis on the bags for South Pem all day, also reached base and scored the go-ahead run for the Bulldogs in this back-and-forth nail biter.

The Lady Bulldogs' Gracyn Trammel and Jayleigh Leathers both reached base on walks with one out.

But Leathers tried to score on a wild pitch and was caught and tagged out in the match's second run-down.

And in the heat of the moment, Trammel thought it was the third out of the inning and stepped off of first base, motored into the dugout and was called for the final out.

That closed the inning, which ended in a bizarre 1-3 double play and the Lady Bulldogs led 5-4 after 4 1/2.

Starting South Pemiscot pitcher Abigail Edwards in the circle Monday at Holcomb.Photo by Tim Caldwell

The craziness continued in the bottom of the fourth when with one out, Lady Hornet Ava Gurley reached base and came around to score the tying run, 5-5.

Kaetlyn Danley reached base for the first time in front of Maleigh Lemings and Lady Bulldogs' head coach Lance Crawford wanted no part of his pitching staff facing the home-run hitter. South Pem intentionally walked Lemings for the first time after her third-inning shot.

Holcomb's fierce Chloe Hendrix made South Pem pay with a sacrifice fly to center field and Holcomb reclaimed the lead 6-5.

Next up, Ella Jane Lemings reached on a single that sent Maleigh Lemings to third and Holcomb runners occupied the corners with two outs and a chance to increase the lead.

Then one of the strangest plays and calls of the game occurred that led to a bizarre final out to close the inning.

Ella Jane Lemings led too far off first base and was caught between first and second. South Pem's pitcher, Abigail Edwards, held on to the ball in the pitcher's circle, and in the ruling of the umpire, since there was no movement by Lemings to move towards second or back to first, the runner was called out on the lookout rule and ended the inning.

The Lady Hornets were up by just one run, and the intentional walk to Lemings looked like it had paid big dividends for South Pem.

In the top of the fifth, Holcomb relieved Ella Jane Lemings with its fourth pitcher of the day, Jaden Bowen.

Bowen pitched very well, but allowed a run by Farmer to tie the game at 6.

In the bottom of the fifth, Edwards tightened up again.

With a one-out walk, South Pem's Farmer ,who had tied the game in the top of the inning, gunned down White trying to steal second. Edwards coaxed Gurley to ground out short to first to end the inning.

In the top of the sixth, the Lady Bulldogs took the lead again on a walk, a force out, fielder's choice, and allowed Wooden to reach base for the third time in the game. Wooden promptly stole second and third, then scored on a wild pitch and this time South Pem was up by one, 7-6.

In the bottom of the sixth with that slim one-run lead, Edwards with two outs was instructed to walk Maleigh Lemings for the second time. This brought up Hendrix who flew out to center to the end the inning. It looked like the strategy to walk Lemings twice intentionally paid off tremendously.

Top of the seventh inning, South Pem got to Bowen with two hits and an intentional walk to Phoenix Simmons. This led to two more runs for the Lady Bulldogs and the South Pem original three-run lead returned in the seventh, 9-6.

But on this night, Holcomb refused to bow. The Lemings sisters in particular girded and overwhelmed the Lady Bulldogs.

Ella Jane Lemings started the comeback rally with a solid single, followed by Elliot's single.

After a pop out, Jules Gurley drew a huge walk to load the bases.

Katelyn Sweaney stepped into the box and knocked a two-run RBI single, which offered her three RBIs on the night.

With just one out in the inning, Ava Gurley's bat went nuclear. She singled to drive in the tying run and the score was 9-9.

Danley, who was 2-4 at home Monday, walked and brought up the twice-intentionally-walked Maleigh Lemings.

With bases loaded and only one out, Maleigh Lemings walked on four straight pitches out of the zone. This brought in her second run of the game and the Lady Hornets claimed the C1D1 Tournament title on a walk-off walk.

Maleigh Lemings went 2-2, with three walks, two intentional, and on base five times. She was truly, “The Star of the Game."

Jaden Bowen pitched the last 2-1/3 innings, allowed three runs (one earned), struck out two and walked only one on her way to the W.

Addie Elliott started the game and lasted one inning. Elliott gave up three runs (one earned), one hit with one walk and no strikeouts.

Khloe Furlow relieved in the second, pitched 3-2/3 innings, allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits, issued six walks with one strikeout.

Phoenix Simmons pitched to only one batter, Maleigh Lemings, with bases loaded in the seventh and walked her on four pitches.

Abigail Edwards, who pitched a grueling, grinding game, suffered the loss fpr South Pem. Edwards went 6-1/3 innings, allowed 10 runs (eight earned) on 11 hits and eight walks and struck out one. She threw 119 pitches, 69 for strikes. South Pemiscot wrapped its season at 13-16.

Holcomb Lady Hornets, 2024 Class 1 District 1 Tournament Champions.Photo by Tim Caldwell.

C1D1 Tourney Champs Holcomb, now 24-4, await the next opponent. The game is is hosted at Advance.