By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
MARIONVILLE, MO – As a five-time state champion in two different sports, Brooke Daniels has certainly had her share of memorable moments.
On Saturday, the Fair Grove senior added a couple more.
Daniels drove in a pair of runs to help lead the Eagles to a 6-0 victory over Springfield Catholic in the Shelby Estep Memorial Softball Tournament.
As the rain-shortened championship matchup concluded, Daniels raced off on an hour-long car ride to Fair Grove’s senior prom.
“I’m not a big prom person,” Daniels said. “I’m just going to get in the car, and I’m going to put on my dress – probably do something with my hair – and then head to the hotel and have a dance.”
Prior to the weekend tournament, Eagles head coach Bill Voorhis gave his four seniors the option to either play in the final game or leave early to prepare for the big event.
“I just felt that today is our prom and we’ve got several seniors on the team,” Voorhis said. “I thought it’s important that you’re at your senior prom. Some of our girls left after the first game, and I’m so proud of them – I’m not upset at them for going to senior prom – that’s a big deal.”
One Fair Grove senior chose to remain.
“This is where my team was, and this is where I wanted to be,” Daniels said. “It’s totally worth it, I mean, you get the championship win and now you get to go and have fun at prom.”
While Voorhis gave the seniors his blessing, he wasn’t the least bit surprised to see No. 5 in the championship lineup.
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“That’s just how she is,” Voorhis said of Daniels. “That’s how her parents are, and she’s just built like that. She’s a prom queen candidate, so we’re just trying to work around everything and, you know, it’s hard. Spring sports have to deal with graduation, prom – all those things – it’s different from fall sports. You don’t deal with this in football.”
With holes in the lineup and facing a possible weather stoppage, Fair Grove looked to make a fast start.
After a scoreless first inning, the Eagles’ bats came alive in the bottom of the second when Kaylee Adamson’s RBI single scored Brenna Boatwright.
Two batters later, Daniels blasted a triple to score Hali Stokes and Aubrey Voorhis.
Shayla Haddock then drove in Daniels to add a fourth run in the inning.
“The girls were very aggressive at the plate,” Coach Voorhis said. “We’re trying to get some runs in case (a rain stoppage) happened, so we weren’t taking pitches. It was a good approach at the plate. We had several doubles, and then our girls were able to lay down a bunt and move some runners. You put a couple of those things together and you can have a big inning.”
Meanwhile, in the circle, Eagles starter Aubrey Voorhis was holding Catholic’s dangerous lineup at bay.
The sophomore right-hander surrendered 0 runs, 2 hits and 0 walks with a pair of strikeouts.
“(Aubrey) did a good job of being around the plate and making them hit it,” Coach Voorhis said. “We’ve got a really good defense no matter who’s out there, so just making them put the ball in play and getting some quick outs.”
Fair Grove added a pair of insurance runs in the fourth on RBI hits from Boatwright and Adamson.
Catholic starter Brianna Scott gave up 6 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks with 1 strikeout.
Scott and Makenna Phipps accounted for the two Irish hits in the contest.
Fair Grove’s tournament victory featured a special significance for Coach Voorhis.
“I’m really proud of how everyone battled all day, and (Catholic) is a good team,” Coach Voorhis said. “We played them a week ago, and it was a two-run game through seven innings, so our girls played really well today.
“This tournament means a lot to me. I used to work here at Marionville, and the namesake of this tournament, her dad, was my first principal, so it’s a big deal for me to come back and win this tournament.”
The victory also featured a special significance for Daniels, if only because another one awaited her some 46 miles down the road.
Just a couple hours after walking off the softball field, Fair Grove’s most decorated athlete was crowned prom queen … likely to the surprise of absolutely nobody.
Not a bad way to end the day.
2025 Shelby Estep Tournament Championship Final: Fair Grove – 6, Catholic – 0
SC 0 0 0 0 | 0 RUNS, 2 HITS, 0 ERRORS
FG 0 4 2 X | 6 RUNS, 7 HITS, 0 ERRORS
