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By Tyler F. Thompson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
FORDLAND, Mo. — It has been one of those memorable years for the Plato softball program.
And the good times will continue as the Eagles, the top seed, bested the second-seeded Crane Pirates, 5-0, Wednesday at the Class 1 District 4 tournament in Fordland.
Starting senior hurler Kailey Garrett owned the zone from the onset, allowing two hits in the first three frames.
“I just tried to stay focused and not let anything get to me,” Garrett said. “Yeah, we are going to have errors. You just have to stay consistent.”
While Garrett’s consistency was pivotal in the win, so was the defense, which didn’t boot a single ball, and swallowed up anything that came its way.
“It is very nice,” Garrett said of the defense. “It helps. You can throw anything.”
Garrett’s prowess was tangible in the third inning, when she struck out the side.
It truly was an old-fashioned pitchers’ duel, as Garrett and Crane’s Aubrey Chisam went-to-toe with the opposition’s offense.
Plato head coach Jessica Perryman addressed that very component.
“Oh, absolutely,” she said of the duel. “The other team has an excellent pitcher. They both worked hard and did a great job. Kailey stayed strong for us, and we ended up with the win.”
It’s the focus and raw attention to detail that separates Garrett from her opposing counterparts.
“We have a great pitcher, we do. She has a lot of pitches,” said Perryman. “She has been pitching for a long time and works hard. Our seniors are excellent leaders.”
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While the hits weren’t coming in the early going, the mental mantra never dissipated.
“These girls never give up. It does not matter where we are in a game, they find a way to put the ball in play. They will hustle when the ball is in play. And when mistakes happen, we just capitalize.”
And capitalize they did, as the Pirates committed back-to-back-to-back-to-back errors in the bottom of the fourth, when the Eagles plated five runs: Four of which coming off the aforementioned errors.
After Garrett drew the walk, the Eagles scored twice on the first error.
They added another one batter later, making it 3-0. The fourth run came on the final error of the inning, moments before Ramsey Crews belted the RBI double, giving Garrett all she needed to bring the title to Texas County.
“They just get up and keep each other moving forward,” added Perryman.
This season the Eagles soared to a 14-2 regular-season record, with district tournament wins over Koshkonong (15-0); Blue Eye (12-2); and Crane.
But the seniors weren’t the only ones who carried the team this year.
Added Perryman: “We have had some freshmen and sophomores step up for us defensively, offensively. And together, it is the right recipe. They work well together.”
The team will lose six seniors, but a strong freshman and sophomore class (11 players) will look to balance out the attack in 2023.
The Eagles will battle Valle Catholic next Tuesday in the Class 1 quarterfinals. Time is TBA.
