By Chris Parker
Diamond’s dream of a second state softball title in three years was on the ropes.
The Wildcats trailed Kennett 5-3 heading into the top of the seventh with just three outs to work with.
Fortunately for Diamond, a spark plug in the form of No. 9 hitter Kabrie Parmley was coming to the plate to lead off the inning.
“She (Parmley) is an ignitor. I stress all year that there is a strategy, and it is just not one through nine like they think it is in pee-wee where your bottom half is weak,” Diamond head coach Kelsey Parrish said. “She (Parmley) is going to make big plays and is going to be our rally (starter). She is going to come (through) when we need her. She just lights our fire to go back through our lineup.”
Parmley, who started a three-run rally in the third, knocked a single to right to lead off the inning to get the dugout going. Senior Grace Frazier followed with a bunt single to put two on. Two batters later, with one out, Lauren Turner reached on an infield single after Frazier beat a fielder’s choice attempt at second. That brought home Parmley.
One batter later, Taelyn Reeder knocked a single to center to tie the game.
Diamond shut down the Indians in the bottom half of the seventh to force extra innings.
“We just had the mentality that we are going to get a win and we are not going to give up on that,” Diamond senior Caitlyn Suhrie said.
In the eighth inning, Sara Roszell led off with a walk and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice. Parmley walked to put two on for Suhrie with one out.
Suhrie laced a single to left that got by the left fielder setting off a wild dash around the bases that saw Suhrie come around all the way to score after a throw to home plate.
“I wasn’t watching anything besides coach (Parrish). My job as a player is to pay attention to what my third base coach is saying,” Suhrie said. “I am not stopping until coach tells me to.”
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Suhrie and Parrish were of the same mindset, as while Parrish wasn’t yelling go but she was thinking it once Suhrie made her move.
“I just told her to watch the throw, she took a step and I (thought) ‘yes, do it’,” Parrish said. “I preach that if I say something then it is too late. She is one of them that believes in that. She is one step ahead.”
That staked Diamond to an 8-5 advantage with just three outs to get.
It was fitting that at the center of the action for the final inning were Diamond’s two seniors in Suhrie (pitcher) and Grace Frazier (catcher).
“You have everybody behind you and that feels amazing, but it really did feel like just me and Caitlyn just going back and forth,” Frazier said.
Suhrie struck out the first batter of the inning. Frazier caught a foul ball for the second out. Suhrie struck out the final batter to keep the final three outs betweenset off the celebration.
The duo along with Parrish and assistant coach BJ Lorenzen found each other for an embrace after the final out.
“Us four have been really close. Us being the only senior we have a strong connection to our coaches, so that was a great moment,” Suhrie said.
“Those two girls are gold,” Parrish said. “If we have to be done this is the way to do it.”
Suhrie pitched 4.1 innings giving up no runs with seven strikeouts and three hits. Turner accounted for four RBI in the win.
Diamond finishes the season with a 38-1 record with the lone loss coming to a team from Kansas.
While replacing the senior duo next year will be tough, the Wildcats will return seven starters who each saw action in more than 35 of the games this season.
“I hope we are here again next year,” Parrish said. “We have a lot of hungry kids. We brought our school down (to the game). We are trying to make future generations hungry as well and to understand this feeling and want to be here. I have full faith in these girls and doing more exciting things.”
