Leopold softball team claims first district title with win over Woodland

OAK RIDGE, Missouri -- Lexi Vandeven was not happy.

In Leopold's Class 1 District 6 softball victory over Meadow Heights on Thursday, Vandeven, Leopold's starting pitcher, allowed just three hits but walked six batters -- including walking the bases loaded in one inning -- and was generally disappointed with her performance despite the Wildcats' big victory.

She was determined to do better in Friday's district final. And she did.

Vandeven allowed five runs, none of which were earned, on eight hits and walked just three batters while striking out six as the Wildcats claimed their first softball district title with a 9-5 victory over Woodland at Oak Ridge.

"I think I hit my spots a lot better," Vandeven said following the win that propelled Leopold (11-2) into Monday's sectional against Scott City. "Everybody played a really great game and hit well. I think that everything just kind of fell into place correctly today."

Even when Vandeven did falter, her teammates were there to pick her up. That was never more evident than in the top of the sixth when Woodland tried cutting into an 8-5 deficit. The Cardinals' Rachel Poole singled and stole second, and Kat Cooper followed with a liner to deep center that Leopold's Leah Vandewee snared with a nice catch. Landewee fired the ball back to second, doubling up Poole, and a potential Woodland rally was nipped in the bud.

"That was a big shift in momentum," Leopold coach Keenan Kinder said. "The game was back and forth, as far as momentum goes. I'm just proud of our girls."

Leopold came out swining, jumping on Cooper, Woodland's starter, for three runs on four hits in the bottom of the first as the first five Wildcat batters reached base. Landewee opened the inning with a double and scored on Vandeven's single to center. After Denai Arnzen reached on an infield error, Ashlynn Bucher stroked a two-run single to left, and Brittany Garland followed with a run-scoring single to center.

Woodland scored twice in the top of the second, coupling two hits with two Leopold errors, but the Wildcats answered back with three more runs in the bottom of the inning. Arnzen and Bucher each had RBI singles, and another run scored on Garland's fielder's choice grounder.

"It's been a dream of ours to play them again this season," said Bucher, a junior shortstop who finished 2 for 4 with three RBIs. "I'm just glad we got to and we just had to make the most of every opportunity against a team like that."

Leopold defeated Woodland 4-3 back on April 15, and this game was just as close early on. A three-run fourth that was highlighted by Lacey Wilkinson's two-run single to right pulled the Cardinals within 6-5.

Leopold first baseman Denai ArnzenCQ runs for third base in the sixth inning of the Wildcats' 9-5 win over the Woodland Cardinals in the championship game of the Class 1 District 6 Softball Tournament Friday, May 2, at Oak Ridge High School. (Adam Vogler)

But that's when Vandeven and the Wildcatstook charge. Leopold scored twice in the bottom of the inning to build its lead back to 8-5.

Kacie Hampton and Jessie Holweg, the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters for Leopold, each had run-scoring singles.

Then, in the top of the fifth, Vandeven struck out the side, and the Wildcats plated an insurance run in the sixth as Arnzen doubled to left, went to third on a wild pitch and scored when Bucher reached on an infield error.

Vandeven said her confidence in herself and her teammates never wavered.

"I'm always confident, especially with those girls behind me," Vandeven said. "I'm confident in my pitching abilities, but with the great defense behind me and our offense, I never doubt us."

Woodland coach Andrea Arnold admitted the loss was tough, especially since her squad had battled back from an early deficit.

"They desired that win today," Arnold said of her team that finished the season 11-7. "They never gave up. They definitely wanted it."

She acknowledged the double play in the top of the sixth took some wind out of the Cardinals' sails.

"It did," she said. "But we have to battle back through that, and we have to hit the ball and come back from (that) even though it takes your momentum away, you've got to swing back and take that momentum back.

"There was a few key errors -- balls on the line that we couldn't get to, stuff like that. But there were a few spots in the lineup where we needed big stuff, and we couldn't come up with it either."

The loss left Arnold looking toward the future.

"We're losing some great seniors, we really are," Arnold said. "I'm going to miss the five that we're losing, but that's the circle of life that you go through here. You lose seniors, you gain freshmen and you become a new team. And we've already set that goal that we want to be back here playing in this game a year from now."

Woodland 020 300 0 -- 5 8 4

Leopold 330 021 X -- 9 12 4

WP -- Lexi Vandeven. LP -- Kat Cooper. 2B -- Josie Long (WLeah Vandewee (L), Denai Arnzen (L). Multiple hits -- Woodland: Rachel Poole 2-3, Long 2-4, Shelby Sawyer 2-4; Leopold: Arnzen 2-4, Ashlyn Bucher 2-4, Brittany Garland 2-4, Jessie Holweg 2-3. Records -- Woodland 11-7, Leopold 11-2.