Lady Mustangs District Champs
ONE RUN IN CHAMPIONSHIP BREAKS PITCHING DUEL
It figured to be a pitching duel and it did not disappoint — one run and 22 strikeouts. The one run went to the McDonald County Lady Mustangs, and with it came the title 2016 Missouri Class 4 District 12 Champions.
It figured to be a pitching duel and it did not disappoint — one run and 22 strikeouts. The one run went to the McDonald County Lady Mustangs, and with it came the title 2016 Missouri Class 4 District 12 Champions.
The title is only the second in school history for the Lady Mustangs, the first coming in 2008.
“In high school sports, winning a district championship is one of the biggest goals and achievements because that gets you into the playoffs and gives you a chance at a state title,” said coach Skyler Rawlins. “I am just proud of the girls. They put in all the work this year and played very well together at districts. I am excited for McDonald County – the school district and the community. That’s who we are playing for and who we are representing.”
Jones and Republic’s Rachel Rook battled pitch for pitch through seven innings, each allowing four hits and striking out 11. Jones walked two and Rook three. That extra walk by the Republic senior proved to be the difference in the game.
The walk proved to be instrumental in the Lady Mustangs’ third inning run. Kenzie Stephens walked to lead off the inning and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Cloee Helm. After Stephens went to third on a wild pitch, Rook struck out her fourth batter of the game, setting up a duel between one of the best pitchers in southwest Missouri with one of the best hitters in southwest Missouri — McDonald County’s Kylie Helm.
Helm took the first pitch for a strike, then hit a 0-1 pitch into the right centerfield gap for an RBI double.
“You couldn’t draw it up any better,” Rawlins said. “Kenzie had a great at-bat to get on, and Cloee Helm had a sac bunt to get her into scoring position. There is not anybody else you would want up other than Kylie in that situation. She had a great approach and drove the ball up the middle. That was all you could ask for.”
That run one run was enough for one of the other best pitchers in southwest Missouri in Jones. The senior right-hander struck out the side in the first two innings and never allowed a runner to reach third. Republic put more than one runner on base in an inning only once, in the bottom of the third on a walk and a single before Jones struck out the final two batters of the inning to end the threat.
“In high school sports, winning a district championship is one of the biggest goals and achievements because that gets you into the playoffs and gives you a chance at a state title.”
Skyler Rawlins
Coach