By Cody Thorn (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
BLUE SPRINGS — Nixa softball coach Matt Walker knew his team would have to play an almost perfect game to beat Blue Springs South.
The Jaguars, though, were ready for a trip back to Springfield for the state semifinals.
Moments after the final out landed in the glove of Elle Smith, the players mobbed each other on the field and the celebration started. Then, blue t-shirts that recognized the trip to state next week were passed out to players and coaches for the No. 1-ranked team in Class 5 (by the Missouri Fastpitch Coaches Association) and No. 6 in the nation (National Fastpitch Coaches Association).
Blue Springs South brought home first or second place four years in a row (2016-2019) before being knocked out at districts last year.
“I am proud of my girls,” Nixa coach Matt Walker said. “I said let’s go try and shock them. No one expected us to win. We have been loose in practice and had a good time. I thought we played well, we had one inning get away from us. Other than that, we were right there with them.
“They are a really good team; They are No. 1 for a reason. They got a pitcher who hasn’t lost all season but I thought early on we held our own. A couple dink hits and a spinning ball … and it unraveled for us a little bit.”
Blue Springs South (29-4) scored four runs in the third inning. A double steal led to the first run, before a bloop single by Emily Berry scored a run. Cleanup hitter Bailey Brumley followed with an RBI single and Abigail Wilhelm’s sac fly capped the scoring.
The Jaguars added single runs in the fourth and sixth – they were the visitors on the scoreboard at their home field.
The lone runs for Nixa came in the bottom of the seventh inning. Catcher Apryl Zeno led off the final inning with a single up the middle and then sophomore Sara Sweaney hit a two-run home to center field with one out.
“It felt good,” Sweaney said of the hit. “I wanted to get something on the board after my second at-bat. I wanted to get a quality at-bat and score something. I wanted to start the rally and get everyone on board but it wasn’t in our favor today.”
Eight pitches after the home run, Maddy Duvall ended the game with a ground out and a pop fly to lock up the Jaguars’ 12th straight win.
This was the fourth win for Blue Springs South over a Central Ozark Conference team after posting wins against Carthage (16-5), Ozark (8-2) and Willard (10-0) in tournaments this season.
Nixa was limited to five hits – two coming in the final inning. Perhaps the only other opportune scoring chance came in the fourth inning when Dakota Hale doubled with one out but was left stranded.
“For us to come out, 6-2, that is a good showing,” Walker said.
The team finished one win shy of matching the school record for wins and picked up a COC and district title to reach the quarterfinals – the further the Eagles have been since 2009.
That year ended with a 6-0 loss to Jefferson City but Sweaney’s home run kept history from repeating.
“Playing the No. 1-ranked team I knew it would be a good game,” she said. “I really wanted to shock them. We wanted to win it for our seniors and our coaches.”
