By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Republic softball’s magical late-season run came to an end Monday night in the Class 5 quarterfinals.
The 22-15 Tigers fell 2-1 to Raymore-Peculiar and pitcher Kelsie Donaldson.
Donaldson, a 5-foot-9 standout left-hander, found her groove early after a slow start. The North Carolina State commit allowed just three hits, struck out 15 and retired the final 16 Republic batters in a row.
“(Donaldson) was just hitting her spots,” Republic head coach Lee Dishman said. “She wasn’t really mixing speeds that much, but she was going in and out both ways. She likes to throw it low, and she was getting the low pitch – and that’s OK – but once you let her settle in, you’re in trouble.”
Dominance aside, the Tigers were able to apply pressure in the early innings.
Following a leadoff single in the top of the first, Paige Elsenraat stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a passed ball to give Republic an early 1-0 lead.
The Tigers threatened, once again, in the top of the second.
A pair of singles from Kara Goeke and Emma Ellison put runners on, but Republic was unable to move them home thanks, in-part, to a solid defensive play from Ray-Pec centerfielder Zariya Mabion.
Mabion, a Clemson commit, raced down a hard-hit line drive from Elsenraat and made an over-the-shoulder catch along the warning track to end the inning.
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In the bottom of the third, Ray-Pec seemed poised for a big inning when its first two hitters reached base on a single and an error; however, Republic’s defense rose to the occasion with an inning-ending triple play.
Donaldson lined a shot to Ellison at shortstop, and both runners advanced on the play. Ellison quickly turned a 6-4-3 exchange for the rare triple.
“We got ourselves in a little bit of trouble,” Dishman said. “First and second with one of their big sticks up, their pitcher. Luckily, they made a not very good baserunning move and ran on a line drive, and we picked it at short and then just kind of threw it to second and first. I think that’s the first triple play I’ve had in my career as a softball coach, but it was pretty exciting.”
Goeke, the Tigers starter, continuously battled in the circle, working herself into and out of trouble frequently.
“Kara showed a lot of guts tonight,” Dishman said. “She missed a few spots, and they made her pay at times, but our defense held up behind her and made plays. She had a really good outing tonight and just kept pounding away.”
When Republic needed a big play to get out of the inning, it was usually there, save for the fourth inning.
Following back-to-back hits from Mabion and Reygan Ackley to open the inning, both runners scored on a double from Rheyenne Jones to put the Panthers up 2-1.
With a lead in hand, Donaldson locked in and didn’t allow another baserunner on the evening.
Despite the loss, Dishman was pleased with his team’s performance and effort throughout the well-played matchup.
“We showed the character of our team a little bit,” Dishman said. “We were under the gun all night. Ray-Pec is a good hitting team, and our girls just kept making plays and not backing down from them. We just played good softball tonight, but Ray-Pec played a little better.
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“We put pressure on (Donaldson) early and had our chances to score more runs, but they made plays and hats off to them. That’s just a good high school softball team and 2-1 – any time you can get that in, with a state playoff berth on the line to the final four, that’s just two quality teams that hooked it up.”
While the loss ends Republic’s season, it also marks the end of a storied career for Coach Dishman, who announced his pending retirement earlier in the fall.
Dishman, who took over the reins some 14 years ago, was asked about what this particular season would mean to him down the road after ending his career alongside his senior daughter, Piper.
“Me and Pipes have been through a lot; a lot of softball over the years, and I got to see her,” Dishman said. “I got to see a bunch of girls that I raised as softball players now move on to do good things, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
In addition to Goeke, Elsenraat and Piper Dishman, the game marked the high school softball end for seniors Kaityn Stewart, Allison Burford, Grace Worthy, Addison Brown and Emma Hoodenpyle.
“This senior class – I’ve had them around me since they were itty bitty girls, and to watch where they are now – yeah, that’s what I’ll remember the most,” Coach Dishman said. “Watching them grow into the women they are now. I got to spend many years with my daughter on this field and watch her grow up, and there’s not a better place .. not a better place.”
Class 5 quarterfinal:Â Raymore-Peculiar – 2, Republic – 1
RepMo 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 1 3 1
RayPec 0 0 0 2 0 0 x | 2 6 0
