For most of the year, Republic’s softball team looked unbeatable. In the end, like most great teams, they weren’t.
Joplin’s Michaela Sennett pitched the biggest game of her life, striking out 22 batters, and Kinsley Stewart drove in two runs in the ninth inning to help the Lady Eagles upset Republic 3-1 in the Class 4 District 12 championship game Friday. The game brought Republic’s historic season to a sudden, stunning halt.
“I told our girls before the game, ‘When you leave this game, make sure your heart’s full because you’ve done everything you can, and you can look at your teammates and say you did everything you could,'” says coach Lee Dishman. “They did everything they could, and we just came out on the short end of the stick.”
Sennett’s performance in the circle outshone even Rachel Rook, who had dominated southwest Missouri high school lineups all season. Rook did it again Friday, striking out 19 batters and allowing just two base hits. Both base hits were costly.
In the fourth, Makenzie Goswick led off with a single and scored later on an RBI groundout to the the game 1-1.
In the ninth, Mikaela Cox walked, Tamarah Mascher reached on an error, and Steward delivered the two-out single that proved to be the game-winner.
Republic had scored its run in the top of the first inning when Lauren Strobel walked, Caty Eby reached on a bunt single, and Kami Holt walked. But despite loading the bases with no one out, the Lady Tigers could only manage one run when Strobel scored on a wild pitch. From there, Sennett shut Republic down.
“The reason we didn’t hit is because of their pitcher. Their pitcher did an excellent job. Our pitcher did an excellent job. It was two good teams going at it,” says Dishman. “It’s nothing to hang your heads about. We got beat by a quality team and we played our best. Those girls played their butts off and I couldn’t ask for anything more from them.
The loss ends Republic’s season at 26-3. That’s a school record for wins.
Rachel Rook won 25 of those games, putting her season win total at 10th all-time in Missouri softball history. Her 323 strikeouts this season are the eighth-most ever recorded in a single year–the fourth-highest total by a junior.
The loss also marked the last game in a Republic uniform for four seniors: Caty Eby, Emily Hall, Marlee Scroggins and Lauren Strobel. Republic won 86 games during their four seasons as Lady Tigers.
“Like I told my seniors, this moment does not define them,” says Dishman. “They keep maturing as young ladies and doing good things, and greater things are to come for them. They’re going to be successful in life because of nights like tonight.”