Scott City softball team claims third place in Class 1

~ The Scott City softball team defeated Mt. Vernon 10-6 to claim third place in Class 1

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Scott City solved the problem of staying motivated for a third-place game by having fun.

The Rams were looser than Mount Vernon from the first pitch to the last out and won 10-6 in the Class 1 spring state third-place game Saturday at Rains Field.

"We had nothing to lose this game, so we went out and had fun. We knew it was our last game, so we just wanted to have fun," Scott City senior Macy Hall said.

First-year coach Kaitlin Zink told her team beforehand that Saturday's matchup against the Mountaineers was a pride game and that she wanted them to take the field and play for that little girl in them.

Scott City players hold up the Class 1 third-place trophy Saturday at Rains Field in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Scott City beat Mount Vernon 10-6. (Scott Borkgren ~ Daily American Republic)

They warmed up by playing games. They danced. They never trailed.

"How much more skill stuff can you do at this point? You've got what you've got," Zink said. "We're just out here to have a good time, and I just wanted to see smiles on their faces."

The Rams (18-6), who kept dancing between innings, separated with three runs in the top of the fifth inning and four more in the sixth to take a 10-2 lead.

With one out and the bases loaded in the fifth, Paige McNeely, pinch running for Hall, scored on a wild pitch. After Elizabeth Hensley struck out swinging, Jamie Glastetter singled to score Rebecca Burger, and then Valerie Bahr brought in Lyndsie Robert with a hit to right field.

In the sixth, Hailey Clayton led off with a bunt and made her way to third after a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch. She scored comfortably on Hall's double to center. McNeely, pinch running again, took third on a wild pitch before scoring on Burger's single.

Scott City shortstop Lyndsie Robert, left, catches the throw from home to tag out Mt. Vernon's Maddison Brown, who was trying to steal second during the Class 1 third-place game. The Rams' Isabella Bowers backs up the play. Scott City beat Mt. Vernon 10-6. (Scott Borkgren ~ Daily American Republic)

On Burger's hit, the ball rolled to the wall on a fielding error, allowing her to reach third. Another fielding error allowed Burger to score and Robert to reach base.

Robert eventually put Scott City up 10-2 on a double steal.

"I got very lucky to get in this position. I have a lot of girls who are workhorses," Zink said. "They have been in the gym since January working."

The first spring state softball tournament marks the first time Scott City had gotten past districts.

"We made history. It wasn't what we were wanting to make history with, but we did it," Burger said.

Burger was 2 for 3 with two runs scored. She also pitched in the win and allowed 11 hits and one walk with five strikeouts.

Clayton went 3 for 5 and scored twice. Hall was 2 for 5 and McNeely scored three times in her place. Hensley and Bahr both went 2 for 4.

Mount Vernon (20-5), which gave up four runs in the fifth inning in the semifinals against runner-up Crest Ridge, cut the lead in half in the bottom of the sixth. Morgan Hull doubled with one out in the sixth and Whitney Wiehe got an RBI single to right. Maddison Brown brought in Wiehe with a hit up the middle and made it to second on the throw.

Chelsea Snyder also had a two-RBI single to bring in Brown and Savannah Thomas.

"It is a very special team as far as the young ladies that are part of it," Mount Vernon coach Matt Schubert said. "The work ethic they've shown and the amount of character that have and how much they care for each other, it is one of those really special teams."

On the base paths, the Mountaineers were hurt by their own aggressiveness in the early going. They were doubled up at first base after a caught line drive in the second inning, In the third, Thomas tried to tag up at second on a fly ball to center field but was thrown out at third.

Two innings later, Brown was caught stealing second for the third out.

"I ran us out of a few innings. I didn't do a very good job coaching at the beginning," Schubert said. "They never once quit and that is the hallmark of this team."

Brown, a sophomore, gave up 15 hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

For the Mountaineers, in just their second season as a program and with three seniors, only one of whom started, the season-ending loss feels more like a beginning.

"I think if we would have had our inning where we scored four runs earlier, we might have done a little bit better. The score might have been closer," Brown said. "Very proud. Got to walk out of here with our heads held high."

Scott City 201 034 0 -- 10 15 6

Mt. Vernon 101 004 0 -- 6 11 5

WP -- Becky Burger. LP -- Maddison Brown. 2B -- Macy Hall (SC), Chelsea Snyder (MV), Morgan Hull (MV). Multiple hits -- Mt. Vernon: Savannah Thomas 2-4, Chelsea Snyder 3-4, Kaitlyn Foulk 3-4; Scott City: Hailey Clayton 3-5, Shelby Rhymer 2-2, Macy Hall 2-5, Becky Burger 2-3, Liz Hensley 2-4, Valerie Bahr 2-4. Records -- Mt. Vernon 20-5, Scott City 18-6.