Mustang Softball Third at North Andrew

North Nodaway’s softball team was third at North Andrew after throwing a scare into powerhouse and once-beaten Stanberry and beating North Andrew in Saturday action. But the Stanberry game turned out to be for the Tournament Title, based on what subsequently transpired. North Nodaway fell 5-4 to Stanberry in a game shortened by the 1 hour and 15 minute time limit; the Bulldogs turned around and clobbered Maryville, a team which had handed them their only loss of the year, 12-1 in the nightcap. Maryville had survived a six run outburst in the top of the fifth by North Andrew by scoring six of their own runs in the bottom of the fifth to win 9-6 in the semifinals.

Shai Dailey singled to center to start the Stanberry game and was tossed out stealing in the first as North Nodaway tried to test Stanberry’s arm. But then Dailey caught Madi Sager’s screamer to kill a rally in Stanberry’s first to keep the game scoreless.

With two outs, North Nodaway finally got on the board in the second when Audrey Trimble hit a slap past second for a base hit. Alonna Cross hit a drive to the deepest part of the park, 220 feet straight to dead center. It went off the wall as Trimble scored to put North Nodaway on the board 1-0.
It looked like it would stand up for a while as Stanberry went in order in the second, but then Ashley Peterson walked to start the third. Walks lead to runs as Sydney Mattson beat out a slow roller down the first base line and Elle Ellis hit a shot off pitcher Keagan O’Riley’s glove that she didn’t have a play on. Madi Sager singled in two runs to make it 2-1. Then, nobody called Kierstyn McMillen’s pop fly that dropped between the mound and second, loading the bases. Sager grounded into a force at home for the first out. Riley McQueen hit a pop fly that dropped in, but center fielder Audrey Trimble threw to third to force out a runner as a run scored to make it 3-1.  But then Lexi Craig singled to score a run, shortstop Kandace Damgar bobbled Peyton Gage’s grounder and Lexi Craig walked to force in another run to make it 5-1.

But then Emily Dew’s bad hop single to start the fifth gave North Nodaway new life. She went to second on a wild pitch. Kandace Damgar hit a pop fly to center for a base hit. Dew, who held up, made a late break for third against center fielder Kierstyn McMillen. A good throw would have gotten her, but the throw was wild and Damgar took second on the play. Shai Dailey singled to right center to score two as right fielder Lexi Craig threw unsuccessfully to home, allowing Dailey to take second.

Stanberry then unsuccessfully tried to pick off Dailey at second and threw it away. Center fielder Kierstyn McMillen picked up the errant ball and threw wildly in an attempt to get Dailey at third, allowing her to score to make it 5-4. But then North Nodaway went 1-2-3 in the sixth, and then time ran out before North Nodaway could get to bat again in the seventh.

That put North Nodaway in the game for third place with North Andrew. The Mustangs had lost twice to North Andrew last year, including once in districts. But what happened defied all expectations as North Nodaway scored nine in the first and eight in the second for a 17-0 victory.

The revenge factor was in North Nodaway’s minds over last year, as they jumped all over starting pitcher Emma Tipton. Shai Dailey shot a single just past Jentry Copple at short and Keagan O’Riley reached safely when the left fielder dropped her fly ball. That brought up Makayla Cross, who hit a drive to deep right center field, 275 feet from home plate for a three run shot that put North Nodaway on the board.

Emma Hart walked and Audrey Trimble popped out for the first out. But then the floodgates opened as Kristin Herndon successfully stretched a single into a double and Alonna Cross doubled over the left fielder’s head to make it 5-0.

At that point, Todd Simmons, the North Andrew skipper, decided that he didn’t like what he was seeing after his players took a long timeout and huddled at the mound to try and stop the bleeding. When plate umpire Ed Gumm went out to break up the conversation, he came out, pulled Tipton, and put Carlie Grace on the mound.

Jadon Dobbins struck out for the second out, but then Kandace Damgar singled between third and short to restart North Nodaway’s run and score a run. Shai Dailey walked, Keagan O’Riley doubled to left to drive in one and put runners on second and third, and then O’Riley and Dailey both came around to score when a wild pitch got away and nobody came in to cover home. It would have been more than nine runs, but Audrey Trimble gave one a long ride that was caught by right fielder Kara Ehrhardt, positioned perfectly right against the fence.

Kristin Herndon was plunked by Grace to start the second and Alonna Cross walked. They went to second and third and scored on Jadon Dobbins’ single to left. Kandace Damgar and Shai Dailey both grounded out as Dobbins advanced to third. But then the third baseman let a pickoff throw get by as Dobbins scored and the next seven Mustangs reached safely.

Keagan O’Riley walked and Makayla Cross was hit by another pitch and Grace was finished for the night (illness). Jentry Copple came into pitch, but she was slow, throwing pitches that were more like slow-pitch floaters. But after Emma Hart and Audrey Trimble walked, Kristin Herndon beat out a slow roller down the first base line and Alonna Cross hit a solid single to center to score one and put runners on first and third. Jadon Dobbins reached on a dropped fly ball as Herndon scored to make it 17-0.

But not all the Cardinals were ready to call it quits. Makenna Goldizen, a freshman, gave one a long ride that looked headed for extra bases in the third with one on and two outs. But right fielder Jadon Dobbins came in and made a running basket catch for the third out to end the game.