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By Don Eskins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Norwood Lady Pirates have waited 27 years to get back to the state softball final four.
That wait is over after Norwood beat Weaubleau 4-0 in the Class 1 quarterfinals to earn a trip to next week’s Class 1 Final Four.
For the Pirates the victory was a dream come true.
“I’m feeling pretty special right now,” said senior Megan Campbell. “I’ve been working for a big part of my life for this moment and now it’s here. We did it and I’m so happy.”
“We’re going to the final four. This is huge,” said Lady Pirate catcher Josie Sullivan. “I’m so excited right now just to be a part of all this makes me so happy.”
“This has been our goal all season long and today we got it done,” said Nowood pitcher Payton Drake. “We’re going to the state finals and I’m so proud of my teammates.”
With the game tied at 0-0 following the first two innings of play, Norwoord pushed one run across in the third on a Rainy Jarrett sacrifice bunt, scoring Marla Chadwell from third to take a 1-0 lead.
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In the fifth frame the Pirates picked up another run on an RBI triple off the bat of Josie Sullivan. Sullivan drove in Keyera Cornelison who had doubled earlier.
Norwood tacked on two more insurance runs in the sixth to push the Lady Pirate lead up to 4-0. Sierra Cornelison and Jade Coatney both singled, and scored, in frame.
Already playing great defense, and getting another solid pitching performance from junior hurler Payton Drake, the four runs would prove to be all the Pirates would need as they held on to defeat Weaubleau 4-0.
In picking up the victory Drake yielded only three hits to the Tigers while striking out nine. Absorbing the loss was Weaubleau’s Jenna Daggert who gave up four runs on six hits with eight strikeouts.
Leading hitters for the Pirates were: Josie Sullivan 2-4 (2B-3B-RBI), Sierra Cornelison 2-3, Keyera Cornelison 1-3, (2B-RBI), Jade Coatney 1-3 (RBI).
For the Tigers N. Flagg went 1-3, K. Ginnings 1-3 and D. Stewart 1-2.
“I’m very proud of our kids today,” Pirate head coach Lori Drake said. “They made plays defensively for us and got the hits when we needed them to push runs across the plate.”
As head coach for the Pirates coach Drake becomes part of Norwood High history, as do the rest of the coaches and kids on her team. But in reality she already was. Coach Drake was a member of the last Pirate squad to participate in a state final four way back in 1991.
“Playing in the final four is something you’ll never forget,” said Drake. “So being able to get back with the Pirates, and having my daughter Payton on the team, has made this season very special for me.”
Getting to the final four this year is also going to be extra special for Marla Chadwell. Chadwell has been out for most of the season with an injury, but now she’s back.
“Some people may not have considered us to be the best softball team in the area,” said Chadwell. “But every game we’ve played we’ve gone out and played with our hearts. I’m so proud of our team and I give all the Glory to God.”
As for the Tigers, the loss was disappointing, but head coach Shania Francka says their season has been a great one.
“We’ve played with a kind of us against the rest of the world mentality all season long. But our kids have kept their composure and battled hard all year. And through it all they just came up win shy of their goal this year,” said the Tiger coach. “Winning 21 games in a season isn’t easy to do- but our kids did. I’m so proud of them all.”
