By Kai Raymer
Between “Dinger” the rally monkey, silly string and coach Lori Videmschek’s hair, the Purdy High School softball team knows a thing or two about good luck charms.
Oh, and district championships.
Hallie Henderson, who had an all-state season a year ago, threw a complete-game gem as Purdy defeated Southwest (Washburn) 11-1 in the Class 1 District 10 championship game Thursday night at Clever High School. Purdy, which has won three straight district championships, will play a road game in the sectional round on Monday.
“The last two years, we’ve been bumped out by teams that ended up at the state final four,” said Videmschek, referencing a quarterfinal loss to Stockton (2015) and a sectional loss to Mt. Vernon (2016). “We’re not going to take things for granted. We’ll take it one game at a time and we’re going to practice hard the next couple of days before sectionals.”
Videmschek and her recent haircut were a postgame target for Purdy players equipped with cans of silly string.
“She’s a very superstitious person,” Henderson said. “She got her hair cut this week and she had the hairdresser sweep up all of her hair and put it in a baggie. We won the first (district) game with her (former) hair, so we had to bring it to this game.”
Added Videmschek: “They’re always messing with my hair, constantly, no matter what I do. I still got (the hair clippings) here in a baggie and it’s probably going to stay there for a while. I’m very superstitious.”
Henderson, described by Videmschek as Purdy’s “workhorse” pitcher, struck out 13 and allowed only three hits over six innings. After allowing a leadoff single to start the game, Henderson retired 14 consecutive batters.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF PURDY AND SOUTHWEST TITLE GAME
Southwest’s lone run came in the top of the sixth inning on a two-out triple by Maggie Robbins. Robbins was awarded home after Purdy’s throw to third base went into its dugout.
“(Henderson) was hitting her spots and getting ahead of hitters,” Videmschek said. “When she gets ahead in the count, 99 percent of the time she’s going to strike them out or get (an easy out). When she’s ahead, she can use so much more of her other pitches – whether it’s her rise ball, screwball, changeup, curveball. Everything was working really well for her tonight.”
Henderson saw action earlier in the day, as Purdy beat Exeter 10-0 in the semifinal round. Winds of over 30 mph didn’t seem to affect Henderson and the Purdy defense, as she kept Southwest’s hitters off balance with a steady mix of changeups.
“(The wind) is a problem when it’s pushing against you, but as a pitcher you have to go through everything – rain, wind – so I’m used to having to go through those types of things,” Henderson said.
Purdy led 5-0 after two innings, thanks in part to two errors by Southwest and multiple wild pitches and passed balls.
Senior cleanup hitter and Missouri Southern signee Rion Boyd broke the game open in the fourth inning with a two-out, two-run triple that pushed Purdy’s lead to 7-0.
The Eagles got RBI singles from Boyd and Mikey Schad in the sixth inning to make it 10-1, then scored the walk-off winning run on a wild pitch.
“They’re a legit team,” Southwest coach Tony Eagleburger said of Purdy. “They’re the complete package, top to bottom and offense to defense.”
Southwest starting pitcher Maggie Robbins struck out 12 and allowed eight hits over six innings. Purdy totaled one hit while jumping out to a quick 5-0 lead.
The outcome marked Southwest’s fourth loss to Purdy this season, including a 25-4 final score on April 27. The Trojans, who beat Clever 5-3 in the semifinal round earlier in the day, finish their season 15-6 overall and will return one of the area’s top pitchers next year in rising junior Maggie Robbins.
Eagleburger noted that Southwest’s six losses came to teams (Purdy, Sarcoxie, Mt. Vernon) with a combined record of 51-11.
“We knew, if we got to this game, we were going to have slingshots with marbles and we’re going to take a shot at Goliath,” Eagleburger said. “We competed. (Our players) could’ve laid down, folded early, but they hung, they ground and made it a game.”
With their third straight spring softball district championship, Purdy (24-1 overall) is headed back to the state tournament. The Eagles will play at the winner of District 9 – which hosts its title game at Forsyth High School on Friday night – on Monday, May 8 at 4 p.m.
“Thinking back to those games in the state tournament the past two years, makes me and my teammates want (the final four) so much more,” Henderson said. “We know what it feels like to fall short and we don’t to feel like that again. We’re going to do everything we can.”
Purdy 11, Southwest 1
Southwest 000 001 X — 1
Purdy 230 213 X — 11
HITS
Southwest (3) – Swindle, Snyder, Robbins (3B)
Purdy (8) – Henderson, House (3B), Callahan, Boyd 2 (3B), Schad 2, Renkoski
