By Dana Harding
Fair Grove, Mo. — Rain forced the District 8 final to be rescheduled twice, but it couldn’t stop the Strafford redemption tour.
After a season-ending loss in 2016 to eventual state champion Mt. Vernon, Strafford and head coach Dale Bean set out to make certain history didn’t repeat itself.
The Lady Indians overwhelmed Plato in a 10-0 victory Saturday afternoon.
“After last year, we had a lot of bones we needed to bury,” Bean said. “I didn’t have to say anything today about what happened last year. They knew, and they came out and didn’t even play seven innings. They took care of business.”
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While the Lady Indians have plenty of weapons at the top of the lineup, the back half offers little respite.
With district title on the line, Strafford’s six through eight hitters did most of the damage on the scoreboard.
Alissa Collette, Presley Floyd and Kayley Frank combined for five hits, nine runs driven in (3 RBI each) and a laser over the center field wall that has yet to land.
In the second, Floyd broke a scoreless tie two-run single up the middle.
“I was relaxed and focused [at the plate], because that’s what Coach says for me to do,” Floyd said. “Whenever I felt it hit the bat, it was just an amazing feeling. I knew I did good.”
Floyd’s heroics didn’t come about by accident, either.
The Strafford center fielder was moved down in the lineup prior to districts.
“Presley’s been our six-hole all season,” Bean said. “Right before districts, I told her I was going to move her back to the seven-hole. We like the way she puts the ball in the gaps, and when the opposing team thinks they might get a break, we can sneak someone in there and make them pay.”
With Strafford nursing a 3-0 lead in the fourth, Frank crushed a first-pitch fastball out to center to give the Lady Indians and pitcher Zoey Mullings a 5-0 cushion.
Mullings didn’t need it.
The Strafford junior threw a one-hit shutout with four strikeouts and a pair of walks.
“[Mullings] definitely pitched with a lot of confidence today,” Bean said. “She went out there and attacked batters. She knew what she needed to do to each batter; she was doing her homework, and she went after the spots and weaknesses of each batter with one hundred percent confidence.”
Up next for Strafford (21-1) is a sectional matchup with District 7 champion on Monday, May 8. The location has yet to be determined.
