Northeast Nodaway’s girls clinched a winning season and clinched at least a share of the Highway 275 title Thursday with their 4-3 win over DeKalb. A loss would have meant that the Bluejays needed outside assistance to clinch the title. A win by DeKalb followed by a win by DeKalb at Platte Valley would have created a three way tie for first between NEN, Platte Valley, and DeKalb. DeKalb subsequently lost 7-3 to Platte Valley in the conference game, meaning that Platte Valley can now share the title with the Bluejays if they beat Stewartsville/Osborn on Thursday.
DeKalb has shown a lot of improvement this year, playing around .500 this year. And even the last two years, they have played everybody tough even with their low won/loss record, and DeKalb, out in the middle of nowhere with no good way to get there, has always been a tough place to play. They still had a shot at the title, and Bluejay centerfielder Lindsey Jackson had traveled with two of their players, pitcher Grace Downing and catcher Rylie Burdette, so naturally, they wanted to beat each other.
Downing sported one of the best changes in the area, freezing even the best Bluejay hitters with the pitch. But Bristol Hicks, pressed into service after Hayley Yost went down, hit a pop fly single in the Bluejay third that dropped in for a base hit with one out. Sasha Deardorff hit a slap to the mound that advanced Hicks to second Hicks went to third on a wild pitch, and Baylie Busby reached on an error as Bristol scored to make it 1-0.
DeKalb tied it right back as Kenzie Pflugradt walked and Alivia Hall singled her to third. Rylie Burdette flied out to Lindsey Jackson, and Pflugradt tagged up on the play and was safe at home on a close play to tie the score at 1-1.
With two outs in the Bluejay fourth, Mylee Wilmes hit a shot off shortstop Kelsey Chatman’s glove for a base hit and Makenzie Pride reached on a throwing error to put runners on first and third. Pride took off for second, running slowly to draw a throw. Somehow, she avoided the tag and was safe as Mylee Wilmes crossed the plate to put the Bluejays back up 2-1.
The Bluejays added to their lead in the fifth as Baylie Busby hit a screamer into the right field corner and managed to circle the bases for an inside the park home run, even after hesitating when reaching third to make it 3-1. Hadley DeFreece beat out an infield hit to the shortstop. Lindsey Jackson hit a screamer that nearly left the yard, but Pflugradt got her glove up and deflected it back in play for a long single. DeFreece, who held up to make sure the ball wasn’t caught, took second. Brianna Meyer hit a grounder to short; they went to second for the force and Meyer was safe at first. Hadley came all the way around from second to score to make it 4-1 for what turned out to be a huge insurance run.
After Northeast got through the heart of DeKalb’s order with no damage done, it looked like they were in control. Pflugradt tried to bunt, but bunted in the air foul and Busby made one of her circus catches behind the plate. Alivia Hall struck out, Burdette walked, but Downing’s first pitch was flied to right and caught by Sasha Deardorff. It took the Bluejays a minute to realize it was the third out.
But when one of the lower hitters in the batting order for DeKalb, Gretchyn Bowers, crushed a triple into the right field corner with two strikes on her to start the sixth, Northeast started panicking and throwing the ball around. Four errors later, the dust had settled with Northeast clinging to a 4-3 lead and the top of DeKalb’s order coming up in the seventh. But Hadley DeFreece settled down and struck out Pflugradt and Hall to start the inning. Burdette walked, but Downing grounded out to Blair Nelson at second to end it.
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