Long ball sends Paola to state

By Gene Morris, gmorris@miconews.com

Allison Wood (left) and Natalie Nelson hoist the Class 4A regional softball championship trophy after the Paola girls rallied from a 7-4 seventh-inning deficit to upset top-seeded Ottawa on Tuesday. The Panthers (20-3) will play in the state tournament May 23 and 24 in Salina. Team members pictured: (from left) Alyssa Staats, assistant coach Jenn Page, Kylee Mader, Wood, Rachel Hanf, Nelson, Kayla Offutt, Kristin Harris, Melanie Golubski and Courtney Johnson. (Photo by Gene Morris)

With Paola entering the Class 4A regional championship game against Ottawa with a team-record 18 home runs, it was only fitting that Kylee Mader would launch her team-leading seventh round-tripper over the scoreboard in right center field for the game-winner in Paola’s 8-7 comeback victory against Ottawa.

There were plenty of story lines to follow Tuesday at Julie Silver Field in Paola.

It was the third meeting of the season between the Paola Panthers and Ottawa Cyclones. The top-seeded Cyclones (21-2) swept the second-seeded Panthers (20-3) in Ottawa in the regular season final last week.

Paola coach Troy Collier made a quadruple move to the lineup card in the third inning after Ottawa scored four runs to take a 4-2 lead. Starting pitcher Allison Wood went to first base. Mader moved from first base to shortstop. Nellie Evans went from second base to pitch, making just her fourth appearance of the year. Sis Hermreck entered her first regional championship game, coming off the bench to play second base.

Collier looked like a genius.

Nelson threw three solid innings, yielding three runs in three innings.

Hermreck only went 3-for-3 with three singles and three runs scored.

The Panthers faced a three-run, deficit in the seventh inning against the Cyclones and were trailing 7-6 when they were down to their last out.

“Everybody came up big for us,” Collier said. “I am proud of the girls. They fought through it, and they were fearless.”

After hitting the two-run homer in the top of the seventh, Mader pitched the home half of the frame and retired the side in order with a pop-up to second base, a fly ball to right field and a called third strike to begin the celebration as Paola defended its regional title for a second straight trip to Salina for state. The state tournament is May 23 and 24. The state bracket was not available at press time.

“Sis Hermreck and Nellie Evans were our co-MVPs,” Collier said. “Sis came in, played great defense for us at second and went 3-for-3 at the plate. That is the way you lead as a senior. It was only Nellie’s fourth time to pitch this season and she stepped up for us.”

There was a feeling that Mader was going to do something big when she stepped to the plate in the top of the seventh. She has all season, long.

Why not with the regional championship game on the line?

With Wood on first base, there were some whispers about why Ottawa would even pitch to Mader. Not doing so would have put the tying run at second, but it also would have taken the bat out of Paola’s single-season home run leader, the most prolific home run hitter in school history. She had already hit six this season.

Ottawa did not pitch around her, taking its chances with two outs and going after the Panthers’ fifth hitter in the batting order.

Mader made Ottawa pay for that mistake.

She parked one over the scoreboard in right center field for a two-run shot that brought her teammates onto the field to greet her at the plate.

“It was kind of scary,” Hermreck said. “But I had a good feeling something good was going to happen.

“Hitting the home run there was perfect,” she said. “I don’t think you could have scripted it any better.”

Hermreck was not alone with her thoughts about something special being in the air when Mader went up to bat.

Natalie Nelson knew.

“I was in the dugout thinking to myself, ‘I know she is going to hit a home run,’” Nelson said. “Especially with our season, winning it with a home run there was amazing.”

When Rachel Hanf went to third base, coach Collier said something was going to happen.

“When Hanf was over there at third, I told her I had a weird feeling,” he said.

Not everyone could bear to look.

“I wasn’t watching. I’m not going to lie,” Kristin Harris said. “I was just watching Rachel.

“It is good that it’s not over,” Harris said of her senior season.

So what did Mader think about swinging the bat when Paola was down to its last out?

“It is funner to play under pressure,” Mader said. “I felt it (the home run swing). It felt good. Seeing everyone waiting at home plate was crazy.”

Collier stopped everyone for a meeting in front of the dugout before the seventh inning.

“We can play dead, or we can come out and play fired up,” he said. “Let’s go.”

Paola went.

Hanf singled to right center to open the frame. Nelson flied out to right. Hanf went to second base on a wild pitch.

Hermreck delivered with her third single of the game, sending the ball into left field. Paola had runners at first and third.

Harris grounded out, driving Hanf home to cut the deficit to 7-5.

A wild pitch sent Hermreck home, making it a one run game.

Wood singled, setting the stage for Mader to deliver with a two-run shot to lift Paola to victory.

In the game, Harris singled, doubled and drove home two runs.

“Harris had two key RBI hits for us today,” Cullor said.

Wood started the game for Paola. Nelson pitched in relief, and Mader came on for the save in the seventh.

Semifinals

Evans drove home two runs as Paola defeated Anderson County 4-3 in the semifinals Tuesday afternoon.

Mader doubled twice, scored two runs and drove home one run.

Mader pitched the complete game and notched the win.