By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Senior pitcher Jaelah McDannald shed tears of joy.
Coach Tara Whetzell had a huge smile below her recent battle scar.
In the dugout, players danced as a boom box blared.
Fair Grove softball waited 43 years for a moment like this – and the Lady Eagles were ready to soak in everything.
“This takes my breath away,” Whetzell said. “I played here at Fair Grove. I’ve coached here for seven years. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s well deserved by the girls.”
In a game that saw both teams overcome two-run deficits, Fair Grove pulled through at the end to beat Skyline 7-6 in Tuesday’s Class 2 District 7 Tournament championship game.
Junior center fielder Faith Klindworth drove in the winning run – freshman Addyson Nunley – in the bottom of the seventh to give Fair Grove its first district title since 1980.
“We have the heart, are you kidding me?” Klindworth said. “We want it so bad. We embrace the grind, every single day. We want it for each other, not just ourselves.”
The difference for Fair Grove this year? Chemistry and culture.
“Our three seniors this year, ever since they were freshmen when they didn’t play in the COVID year, they’ve built up our culture. We have a great team culture,” Whetzell said. “We do everything together. Off the field, we celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving, everything.
“I’m not saying it wins us ballgames, but it’s our backbone. You can’t beat our team culture right now.”
Fair Grove will host the District 8 winner – Warsaw or Lone Jack – in the Class 2 quarterfinal round on Tuesday, May 16. Due to weather, Warsaw and Lone Jack were unable to finish their game on Tuesday. Those two teams will resume play Wednesday afternoon at 3 in Cole Camp.
With a win next week, Fair Grove would advance to the state softball championships for the first time in program history.
“The emotions were… a roller coaster honestly,” Whetzell said. “I’ve believed in this team since the first day of our offseason. All season, they’ve had a plan and run with it. I’m proud of them. It takes everybody.”
Just minutes before Fair Grove advanced, the momentum had shifted drastically in Skyline’s favor.
Lady Tigers senior catcher Alexa Curtis belted a two-run homer in the top of the seventh that tied the game, 6-all. Skyline coach Shawna Bybee wasn’t surprised to see Curtis deliver in the moment.
“I told Lexi yesterday that she was going to be a threat at the plate in this game,” Bybee said. “She’s been seeing the ball very well the last week. It was clutch and she wanted it. She was hyped up the whole game and played her heart out.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Skyline would later threaten to take the lead, placing runners on second and third with no outs. Fair Grove’s pitcher, McDannald, escaped the jam with two strikeouts and a pop-up.
“I’m not going to lie: (Skyline’s) home run took my breath away for a minute just because you’re like, ‘Oh man, we were that close,’” Whetzell said. “But this team stood their ground and got after it.”
Fair Grove (18-4 overall) played catch-up for most of the game. The Lady Eagles battled back from 2-0 and 4-2 deficits.
Junior infielder Minna Morris’s two-out, two-run single in the fifth off Skyline freshman starter Makenna Shockley pulled the Lady Eagles even. One inning later, Fair Grove took its first lead – 6-4 – with two runs following a Skyline error.
“We couldn’t do it without the whole team,” McDannald said. “It’s a group effort. These girls have given it their all – us seniors and everyone else.”
For Fair Grove’s head coach, celebrating a championship on Tuesday eased the pain from Monday’s batting practice incident.
Whetzell said she was throwing a session in the cages – while behind a screen – when a batted ball deflected off a pole and struck her.
“It literally just spun in right behind me and hit me in the face,” Whetzell said. “Here I am, with a black eye. It was well earned. I don’t care about it anymore. No stitches, just glue. It’s a great battle scar to have.”
The culprit? None other than Fair Grove’s senior leader, McDannald.
“I was the first one in the cage, too… it was a crazy way to start the day,” she said.
Skyline, which had won eight straight against Fair Grove before this season, finishes 20-6 overall. The Lady Tigers have now posted four straight 20-win seasons, highlighted by a state championship in 2021 and a runner-up finish last year.
Skyline graduates a six-player senior class.
“With this team, it’ll be hard to get over this game,” Bybee said. “We have a lot of good seniors leaving the program. But we still have a good future coming up.”
