Oran earns title against Naylor

POPLAR BLUFF, MO -- Oran didn't really need to swing the bats to beat Naylor and claim its first softball district title since 2008.

Half of Oran's eight hits, as well as three RBIs, in the Class 1 District 1 championship Friday came via bunts. Add in four walks and six errors by Naylor and Oran scored a lot more runs than it expected in an 8-1 victory.

"I told them on the way over if we score three runs we will win the game because I knew that we had a shutdown defense and an all-star pitcher," Oran coach Jim Eftink said.

Naylor won the district championship the previous four years and defeated Oran and its seven current seniors the past three.

"It is indescribable," Oran's Molly McConnell said. "Losing to them for three years since freshman year and then finally coming back and beating them by seven runs, it is unbelievable. It is the best feeling ever."

Oran will host Dora in a state sectional on Wednesday.

Oran took the lead in the third inning after McConnell scored Morgan Todt on squeeze play and Taylor Nenninger scored McConnell on a line drive to the gap in right-center field before getting thrown out at second to end the inning.

Naylor struggled against pitcher Aubrianna Jones to the tune of three hits.

"I think she was probably one of the best pitchers we've faced this year, with the exception being maybe Portageville," Naylor's Darby Pruett said. "She put a lot of spin on the ball, and I definitely have to give props to her because she did a really good job."

Jones finished with seven strikeouts, three walks and a hit better.

"If I wouldn't have had the curveball they would have been hitting everything. I just had to keep them off balance and not let them get centered on the ball," she said.

Naylor's lone run was in the bottom of the first. Leadoff hitter Kabrien Rogers earned a walk and went from first to third on McCoy's double. Gracie Gargac then laid down a sacrifice bunt.

Shayna Tharp, who allowed eight hits and four walks with three strikeouts for Naylor, connected for a double in the sixth inning and was stranded on third in the fifth after reaching on a walk.

McConnell crossed home again in the fifth inning to give Oran that third run Eftink thought the team needed.

McConnell led off with a hard ground ball that bounced over first base and into the corner for a triple. Jamie Kern put down a bunt single to score the run and stole second before Addie Kielhofner put runners on the corners with another bunt single.

"I don't think we were prepared for that, honestly. I don't think we were prepared for small ball," Pruett said. "I know coming into this game that small ball was not one of the things I thought they were going to do. I thought they were going to hit the ball, so when they were dropping bunts down, it kind of threw me off guard, as well."

Kern scored and Kielhofner took third on a passed ball to make it 4-1.

Still with nobody out after consecutive bunts, Nenninger, representing the fourth senior in a row to come to the plate, became the third hitter in a row to square up and tap the ball into play. Kielhofner beat the throw home, but Nenninger was thrown out trying to take second.

"We were feeling pretty good," Eftink said about being ahead 5-1. "The dugout got loose. There was nobody tight in the dugout. They were excited, and that is the most life I have seen in that dugout all year long. They were alive and well."

In the seventh inning, McConnell again led off the inning with a hit, this time an infield single. She was later tagged out on a wild play where two more runs scored.

With McConnell on third, Kielhofner hit a grounder to the left side. Pruett, the shortstop, scooped it up, faked a throw to first and caught McConnell in a pickle. She was tagged out at home but the throw to third for the double play attempt went into left field and Kielhofner, along with Kern who was on second, came all the way around for runs.

With the bases cleared, Nenninger took a walk and reached second on a passed ball. Christan Sauceda singled to put runners at first and third with one out and Nenninger made it 8-1 on a double steal.

"I feel like we are just going to keep going," McConnell said. "We are going to build from this and that each of us have each other's backs on this team 100 percent."

The loss marks the end of the fall seasons for Naylor seniors Carleigh Lane, McCoy and Pruett, who described the loss as devastating.

"Last year, we had to be up for our seniors because it was their last year," McCoy said. "That was the reason we were playing for districts, sectionals, quarterfinals, the whole thing. I just feel like today we just didn't come out here and play like we were capable."