With the game on the line, Republic's seniors stepped up.
Sydney Phillips got a hit, Rachel Rook made a pitch, and Kami Holt made a play, helping the Tigers sneak past Willard 2-1 and repeat as Central Ozark Championship-Large Division champions on Tuesday evening in Willard. Republic hasn't lost a conference game since 2014.
"This was our number one goal going into the season," Republic coach Lee Dishman said. "We've now gone two years in a row without being beat in the COC, and that's a tough task to do. I attribute that a lot to Rachel Rook and our senior class stepping up and doing things right."
With the game tied 1-1 in the seventh inning, Phillips looped a single into left, plating Holt from second base for the go-ahead run.
"Our seniors have led us this year, and they're going to continue to lead us to get us where we want to go," Dishman said.
In the key spot, Phillips simplified her approach at the plate to help her drive in the winning run.
"(Willard pitcher Bridget Rippe) is a really good pitcher, and you've gotta really prepare yourself when you face her," Phillips said. "I was thinking, wherever she throws it, hit it that direction. She threw it inside, and I hit it that way."
Things weren't over though, as Willard threatened in the last of the seventh. With two outs and Morgan Gaunt at second, Willard's Cheyenne Terry blooped a single past Holt at short. Gaunt rounded third before Holt picked up the ball, but the Republic senior delivered a strike home, and Gaunt was tagged out to end the game.
"That's a nerve-racking play," Dishman said. "(Terry) did the same thing Sydney did, fisting it over the third baseman's head. Kami just made a heads up play and our catcher (Julia Higgins) made a really good play of picking it up off the ground and tagging the girl out. We'll take a win any day like that."
When the ball was hit, Holt knew she was going to have to make a play.
"As soon as she hit it, I knew it would be down so I couldn't go catch it," Holt said. "I just had to try the runner out as she went home."
Republic scored the game's first run in the top of the first inning when Holt tripled and came home later in the inning on a throwing error. Willard tied the game in the fourth thanks to an unearned run. Rippe singled, went to second, and later scored on a throwing error.
Holt and Phillips each went 2-for-4 for Republic, accounting for four of the five Tigers' hits. Ashley Alumbaugh and Terry each were 2-for-3 for Willard in the loss.
Republic 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
Willard 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
WP-Rook
LP-Rippe
Republic: Holt 2 (3B), Phillips 2, Hulland
Willard: Alumbaugh 2, Terry 2, Rippe, Gaunt
—
John Miller
Play-by-Play Broadcaster
Drury University (NCAA-II)
Cell: 417-840-1387
Twitter: @John_TheVoice
