Scott City softball team reaches Class 1 quarterfinals with 11-6 win over Malden

MALDEN, Mo. -- After giving up five runs and falling behind in the top of the third inning, the Scott City softball team returned to its dugout and did the only thing it could do.

They just moved on.

The Rams responded by scoring nine unanswered runs and held on to defeat Malden 11-6 in a Class 1 sectional Tuesday at Malden High School.

"I said, 'Let's let that be our bad inning,'" Scott City coach Lance Amick told his team in the middle of the third inning. "... We moved forward and made a good rest of the game."

Scott City (18-6) evened the game in the bottom of the frame.

After Bella Bowers reached on a walk, Jamie Glastetter doubled to left field and was replaced by courtesy runner Paige McNeely, putting runners at second and third with nobody out. Two batters later, Liz Hensley reached base on a one-out error, scoring Bowers and moving McNeely to third. Hensley was replaced by pinch-runner Alexis Jenkins, and Tori Buckner scored McNeely on a single to left-center field. Lexi Hennecke laid down a bunt that placed runners at second and third with two down, and Kristen Kirker followed with a single to right field, which scored both runners and tied the game at 6-6.

"We talk about when you play in any ball game, there's probably going to be a peak and a valley. ... Obviously a [five-run] inning wasn't ideal for us. They go up 6-2, but you talk about the valley. You can't stay there very long," Amick said. "You've got to move on. You're going to have another at-bat. You're going to have another pitch. You're going to have another this or that, and I thought we did a good job of answering with four runs, basically making it a new ball game there at that point."

The Rams reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Buckner reached on an error to lead off the inning, followed by a double by Hennecke to left field. Kirker walked to load the bases, and Skylar Rhymer singled up the middle to secure Scott City's go-ahead run. The next batter, Valerie Bahr, broke the game open with a two-run single to left field, and the Rams carried a 9-6 lead into the sixth inning.

Scott City's Kristen Kirker hits a two-run single against Malden during the third inning of a Class 1 sectional Tuesday in Malden, Missouri.

Bahr led Scott City at the plate where she finished 3 for 5 with a double and two RBIs.

"I can't say enough about Valerie Bahr," Amick said. "... She's just been a big bat for us all year."

The Rams appeared to add another run in the fifth when Glastetter sent Rhymer home on a sacrifice fly, but the call was overturned on an appeal at third. Amick questioned the call and the umpire responded by forcing him to coach the remainder of the game from the dugout.

The Rams added a pair of unearned runs as insurance in the bottom of the sixth.

Glastetter picked up the win in the circle for Scott City. She went the distance, scattered nine hits, allowed six runs -- all earned -- and had four strikeouts and four walks.

Perhaps more importantly, the sophomore hurler bounced back from a rocky third inning by allowing only two hits through the final four innings.

"She keeps her composure better than I do," Amick said. "... You've got to get the ball and throw it again. There's no magic formula. No one's going to feel sorry for you in the middle of the inning. You've just got to get the ball and throw it again, and Jamie does a great job of that.

"She blocks me out. She blocks the defense out sometimes. She's not too concerned when things don't go good, and she doesn't weigh on the things when they go bad."

Lexi Campbell reached on a walk to begin the top of the third for Malden (15-5), and Blake Tinsley reached on a walk two batters later. Both runners moved into scoring position on a passed ball and a stolen base, respectively, and Autumn Pittman laced a single to right-center field, scoring both runners to give the Green Wave a 3-2 advantage. Desiree Perkins singled to reach base, and Allison Hampton plated Pittman on a single to right field. Katie Goodman hit a two-run single to give Malden a 6-2 lead, but the Rams ended the inning when Kaycie Polen hit a grounder to Scott City third baseman Michaela Kiefer, who got the force out at third and caught the Green Wave sleeping with a throw to second for the double play.

Amick was pleased to see his defense respond with four scoreless innings to end the game.

"They swing the bats as well as most teams you're going to see. For us to hold them down, I guess it was the third inning on, that says something," Amick said. "I thought coming in, I said to the girls that six was the magic number. If we could score six runs, I thought we'd give ourselves a good chance. It turned out to be right. It doesn't always work out that way, but that was kind of our goal."

The Rams took an early lead in the bottom of the first when Bahr led off with a double to left field. Bowers singled and stole second to put runners at second and third with nobody out before Glastetter plated Bahr on a sacrifice fly. Kiefer doubled to right-center field to push Scott City's lead to 2-0 at the end of the first.

An RBI single by Goodman cut Malden's deficit to 2-1 in the top of the second.

Goodman took the loss for the Green Wave. She went six innings and allowed 11 runs -- seven earned -- on 15 hits. She struck out six batters and walked four.

The road back to the final four doesn't get any easier for the Rams.

Scott City will take on defending state champion Kennett in a state quarterfinal Thursday in Kennett. The Indians defeated host New Madrid County Central 10-3 in another one of Tuesday's sectionals.

Kennett ended the Rams' title quest with a 4-1 victory in the final four last season, and Amick said his players know what they're up against.

"It's the ole' Ric Flair thing -- to be the man, you've got to beat the man. They're the man right now. Anything worthwhile this time of year, you're going to have to beat somebody good. All you can ask for is the shot," Amick said. "... Hopefully we'll give ourselves a chance.

"All you can do is ask your girls to go out and compete, and if it's good enough, then it's good enough. If not and you competed, then that's all you can ask for from them."

Malden 015 000 0 -- 6 9 3

Scott City 204 032 x -- 11 15 2

WP -- Jamie Glastetter. LP -- Katie Goodman. 2B -- Lexi Campbell (M), Blake Tinsley (M), Valerie Bahr (SC), Glastetter (SC), Michaela Kiefer (SC), Lexi Hennecke (SC). Multiple hits -- Malden: Campbell 2-3, Goodman 2-3, Allison Hampton 2-4; Scott City: Bahr 3-5, Bella Bowers 2-3, Hennecke 2-3, Kiefer 2-4, Skylar Rhymer 2-4.