By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
While difficulty beating a good team three times in one season might have some validity, apparently nobody bothered mentioning the theory to Diamond softball.
During Tuesday’s heavyweight matchup of state-ranked programs, the No. 1 Wildcats downed No. 3 Mt. Vernon 5-3 to win the Class 2 District 6 championship and solidify their claim as a heavy favorite heading into next week’s quarterfinal round.
The two schools met twice during regular season tournaments, with Diamond posting comfortable victories (9-4, 9-5) in each over the 2023 state champions (a third scheduled matchup was canceled).
The 2024 hat trick solidifies the 35-1 Wildcats as heavy favorites heading into next week’s quarterfinal round considering only four of the state’s top ten ranked teams are still alive.
Tuesday’s victory also marks the third-straight season for either Diamond or Mt. Vernon to win the district title. In each of the prior seasons, that school went on to capture a state championship.
Wildcats head coach Kelsey Parrish anticipated the heavyweight clash once the district bracket was released with the arch-rivals slotted to face off in the final.
“We had a feeling it would come down to this,” Parrish said. “This is a hard district, and we’re just both trying our best to give our girls the most competition and be prepared for it.”
Mt. Vernon proved to be the early aggressor.
Following a leadoff double in the top of the second inning, Mountaineers pitcher Cheyenne Bieber scored on a wild pitch two batters later.
A two-out double from Rae Downing in the third scored Payge Evans and gave the ‘Neers a 2-0 lead; however, Diamond answered in the bottom half when Kabrie Parmley scored on a Caitlyn Suhrie single to cut the lead in half.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Bieber helped her own cause in the fourth inning with a home run to left to push Mt. Vernon’s lead to 3-1, but again, Diamond was quick to answer.
Talyn Daniels’ two-out single in the fourth scored Aubrey Ball and set the stage for the Wildcats’ big fifth inning.
After a walk and an error placed Grace Frazier and Lauren Turner on the basepaths, Taelyn Reeder’s two-run double gave Diamond its first lead at 4-3.
Then, two batters later, Marrisa DeJager drove in Reeder for the final run of the game.
Parrish praised her team’s resiliency during the big inning.
“I just have so much faith in my team, and they’re not going to give up,” Parrish said. “They have a lot of grit, and they’re going to go after it. That was our inning, and we just made it happen out there.”
While a two-out walk to Molly Daniels brought the tying run to the plate for Mt. Vernon in the seventh; the ‘Neers were unable to capitalize.
Despite the loss, Mt. Vernon head coach Matt Schubert was pleased with his team’s effort against a daunting opponent.
“I thought they played their tails off,” Schubert said. “They had great at-bats, they made some plays defensively and, you know, they just gave everything they had … that’s all I can ask. It was one of the few games of the year where I really felt like the other team just got us.”
Mt. Vernon ends its season at 27-9, while Diamond prepares for a May 14 quarterfinal matchup against Forsyth.
Parrish believes Diamond’s tough schedule and district will have it battle-tested for the rounds to come.
“Iron sharpens iron,” Parrish said. “We’re going to go back to work tomorrow and perfect what we have and just know that we can get even better.”
