Northeast Nodaway had fallen on hard times lately, dropping their last four and five out of their last six after the euphoria of beating Platte Valley twice this year and clinching an outright 275 title. They had struggled with their hitting and their baserunning, and the fact that they were seeded first in districts was a testament to the fact that everyone had the target on their backs. They finally broke out of their slump on Senior Night, returning home after a long road trip. In the process, they clinched their second straight winning season, beating East Harrison 9-0 behind 10 hits.
Honored at Senior Night were Ruby Wilmes, Lauren McIntyre, Lily Burns, Jaden Atkins, and Meredith Adwell, all of whom were instrumental in Northeast's rise from the ashes.
The lesson that the Bluejays have had hammered home time and time again during this stretch was this -- there are no more weak teams anymore; every team will bring their best game until they show otherwise. The Bobcats, despite making obvious strides this year, have only three wins this year, yet the only difference separating the two teams Thursday was two big innings by the Bluejays.
Like she has all year, Hadley DeFreece carried the team on her shoulders; she struck out 10, only allowing two hits and one walk, and the fielders behind her did the rest, playing errorless ball. And yet East Harrison made Northeast work for it. Northeast did a good job putting the ball in play Thursday. They cut down on the baserunning mistakes that have plagued them all year, only getting one runner cut down this time; they only struck out three times. But the Bobcat second baseman was lights out on defense, catching everything on defense. Alexis Booth pitched well for them, making some wild pitches, but also working ahead in the count most of the time.
But when the Bluejays got a second look at Booth in the third inning, they finally broke through. With one out in the third, Baylie Busby hit a pop fly that dropped in for a base hit in left field, stole second, and went to third when the throw got around. Hadley DeFreece reached when the third baseman bobbled her grounder and Busby scored. Hadley stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Meredeth Adwell singled her home and took third on a wild pitch. Jill Boswell singled her home, stole second, and took third on a wild pitch.
Lauren McIntyre hit a grounder bobbled by the third baseman, who bobbled it, and Boswell took off for home, only for the third baseman to recover and cut Bowell down at the plate. But some good came out of it after Lauren, with some heads-up baserunning, made it all the way to second. That paid off when she stole third on a return throw to the pitcher and scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-0.
Karlee Crouse, East Harrison's best hitter, tried to jump start her team in the fourth and gave it a long ride, but Meredith Adwell made a leaping catch for the first out. Jill Boswell hurt her non-throwing shoulder in the play at the plate the previous inning, but she came back out and the Bobcats tested her. But she fielded a grounder and a pop fly cleanly to get the Bluejays out of the inning.
In the Bobcat fifth, Phoenix Ratliff hit a shot off pitcher Hadley DeFreece's glove, but she stuck with the play and threw to first just in time to get the out.
With one out in the Bluejay fifth, Hadley DeFreece hit a shot off the third baseman's glove that she slowed down but couldn't snare, and Hadley made it for a double. She took third on a wild pitch, and Jill Boswell hit a tricky pop fly in no-man's land between the pitcher and shortstop and reached for a scratch hit. DeFreece, off on contact with two outs, scored to make it 5-0.
In the Bluejay sixth, Jaden Atkins singled to left center. Lindsey Jackson singled to right field, and Ruby Wilmes beat out an infield hit to load the bases with nobody out. Lily Burns struck out, but Baylie Busby hit a screamer down the right field line for a triple to empty the bases. Hadley DeFreece grounded out to short to bring her in.
In the Bobcat seventh, Alexis Booth, who had one of East Harrison's two hits, hit a shot off Jaden Atkins' glove that rolled away from her towards second. But Atkins stuck with the play and second baseman Lauren McIntyre alertly raced to the bag to cover for the first out. Hadley DeFreece stuck out Bree Vaughn and Jill Boswell grabbed Aspen Zerbe's pop fly for the final out.
