By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Ozark sophomore Natalie Morgan swung hard and ran toward first base.
With a steady wind blowing in, she knew her fly ball wasn’t going to carry over the left field fence.
Right?
“I started sprinting (to first) because I thought, ‘Oh, that’s not going to go over,’” Morgan said. “But then it just… kept going.”
Morgan’s blast gave Ozark a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The early outburst made all the difference in a game that shaped into a pitcher’s duel.
Ozark, behind ace pitcher Jordyn Foley, held off Nixa 2-0 in the Class 5 District 5 Tournament championship game Friday evening at Central High School’s field in Springfield.
A year ago, Ozark had to watch from the other side of the field as Nixa celebrated a district championship in thrilling fashion.
“Last year, we lost on a walk-off in extras against Nixa,” Foley said. “So this is big. It’s redemption.”
Foley kept Nixa’s bats quiet throughout, allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out seven. She escaped a first-inning jam unscathed after Nixa’s first two batters reached base.
“We’ve tried to change up some stuff, toward the end of the season and then sticking with it,” Foley said. “It’s been working.”
Foley’s counterpart, Nixa senior Maddy Meierer, was superb as well. She finished with two hits allowed, one walk and nine strikeouts. Meierer allowed only one baserunner after the first inning.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF THE GAME
Ozark (28-7 overall) will face Blue Springs South (30-2 overall) in the Class 5 quarterfinals on Wednesday, Oct. 19. Game location has not been determined.
The winner advances to the Class 5 final four Oct. 27-28 at Killian Softball Complex in Springfield.
The Lady Tigers are soaring at the right time. Ozark has won 14 straight since a 3-2 home loss to Kickapoo on Sept. 21.
“Our lineup’s starting to be solid,” Morgan said. “Today, we didn’t really show that. But we’re figuring it out compared to the beginning of the season.”
Wednesday’s outcome ended a three-year district title drought for Ozark. The Lady Tigers won seven district titles in an eight-year span from 2011-2108.
“I’m happy for the girls. It’s very exciting,” said Ozark coach Jimmy Nimmo. “They’ve worked tremendously hard. They have bought into what it takes to be successful. They grind every day in practice and it shows.”
Morgan’s blast came moments after leadoff hitter Kelsie Batey scored, thanks to a Nixa defensive miscue.
Batey reached on a single then stole second. The ensuing throw bounced past second base and into the outfield, allowing Batey to come all the way around for Ozark’s first run of the game.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Morgan, another sophomore, followed with the home run to make it 2-0. She wasn’t the only one caught off-guard by her long ball.
“I didn’t think it was going out, either,” Nimmo said. “I thought the outfielder was camped out underneath and would make the catch. Fortunately for us, it went over.”
Nixa had runners on second and third with one out in the top half of the first inning, but couldn’t capitalize.
“(Foley) did a good job mixing it up,” said Nixa coach Matt Walker. “When she would throw something flat, we were under it a little bit and this wind just killed it. Without the wind, maybe one of those balls leaves the yard.
“We got a few hits, but everything was spread out. We couldn’t put anything together. We didn’t get those timely hits that we’ve been getting this year.”
In the regular season meeting, Ozark beat Nixa 7-4 at home.
Nimmo said Ozark tweaked its pitching strategy for Wednesday’s rematch.
“We mixed it up quite a bit,” Nimmo said. “I’m not going to share exactly what we were throwing, because Blue Springs South will be searching for answers.”
Nixa will say goodbye to a five-player senior class that helped the Lady Eagles become one of the top programs in the area.
The Lady Eagles (26-7 overall) set a single-season record for wins this year. Last year, they went 23-7 and won districts for the first time since 2010.
“They’ll be missed,” Walker said. “They all stepped up and played key roles this year.”
Meierer set the program record for career strikeouts this season.
Shortstop Phoebe Gardner leaves as Nixa’s all-time hits leader. She set the program’s career record for doubles as a junior and padded her lead in that category this year.
“We had players set records where it might be a while before anyone touches them,” Walker said. “It was a special group.”
