Young Malden pitcher has bounce-back game in lifting Green Wave to C2D1 SB title game

PORTAGEVILLE – When Malden High School freshman pitcher Alyssa Broom faced Senath-Hornersville/Southland a few weeks ago, it wasn’t a memorable day on the mound.

The Lions pounded Broom for 20 hits and 15 earned runs, which had to be weighing on the mind of the young pitcher, as well as first-year Malden coach Kyle Jones, as she stepped into the circle on Monday with the Green Wave season hanging in the balance.

“I put my whole trust in her,” Jones said.

It paid off.

Broom was one of a trio of Malden players, who came up BIG, as it knocked off the Lions 4-3 in the semifinal of the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 Softball Tournament at Adams Park in Portageville.

Malden will get a rematch in today’s championship game against the host Bulldogs, who not only beat the Green Wave 6-0 earlier this season but stunned Bootheel-power Kennett, which had won eight consecutive District titles, in the other semifinal.

The game will be played at 4:30 p.m.

Malden took a 2-0 lead, as freshman hitter Kaitlynn Sparks doubled home Brydon Maddox and Addison Buchanan.

The Green Wave (16-10) stretched their lead to 3-0 in the fifth inning when Buchanan brought home Rachel Rommel with a single. However, the euphoria was short-lived.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Senath-Hornersville/Southland sophomore standout Kylie Walker tied the game up on a first-pitch home run to center field. It was her 15th home run of the spring.

“In that (sixth) inning,” Jones explained, “she got off to a bad start. We had a walk and then an error, and you don’t want to do that with Kylie Walker coming up to bat because she can do that to you.”

Broom settled down and got out of the inning, and in the seventh, she contributed offensively to the win.

Broom connected on a single, and with two outs, Sparks drew a walk.

Broom came home on an RBI single from freshman Camryn Ellison to seal the victory.

She closed the game by striking out a pair of Lion hitters before a line drive ended the night.

Buchanan and Broom each had a couple of hits, while Buchanan added a run and an RBI, and Broom scored the final run.

Mariah Loya also had two hits in the win to go with her one walk, while Kinley Buchanan (one hit, one walk), Rommel (one run, one hit), Maddox (one run, one hit, one walk), Sparks (one hit, two RBI, two walks), Ellison (one hit, one RBI, one walk), and Dani Churchwell (two walks) also produced.

Broom threw a complete game and allowed six hits, three earned runs, one walk, and struck out nine Lion hitters.

Walker had two hits along with one run and three RBI. On the mound, she allowed 11 hits and four earned runs, while walking eight and striking out three.

“Kylie is just an all-around athlete,” Senath-Hornersville/Southland coach Melani Rooney said. “She can bring just about anything to the table.”

Kaya Horton had one hit, one walk, and scored a run for the Lions (15-6), which matched their most successful season in well over a decade.

Jada Burlison had one hit and one run in the loss, while Annabelle Carlisle (one hit) and Brennan Lane (one hit) also contributed.