LadyCats Claw Through Metro; Palmyra To Earn First Trip To State

Bowling Green is heading to their first ever softball final four after a pair of impressive wins to open the MSHSAA Class 2 State Tournament.

After wasting little time downing Metro in the opening round on Wednesday, the Lady Cats took on Palmyra at home on Saturday.

The Panthers were a surprise participant after downing the mighty North Callaway T-Birds in the sectional.

The Lady Cats lost the coin flip and were the visitors on their new scoreboard. That meant Bowling Green had the first at bat and scored quickly in the top of the first.

After Panther hot hand Alana Comstock retired Anah Noble and Mallory Feldewerth to open the contest, Gabi Deters doubled with two outs and took third as the Panther defense let down their guard.

With KateLynn Charlton at the plate, Deters took off for home as a pitch went back to the screen.

Deters slid head first to the plate for a 1-0 Bowling Green lead.

In the bottom of the inning Palmyra touched Sarah Harness for her first three hits allowed in the post-season to load the bases with just one out.

Harness struck out Lexi Arch and Comstock to get out of the predicament without a run scored.

Palmyra would leave a runner at third in the third and at second in the fourth inning as the 1-0 lead held past the fifth inning stretch.

Comstock pitched well, holding the LadyCats to just one hit over her first five innings in the circle.

The Panthers tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when Megan Stone singled with one out, then Brooke Wilson singled with two outs.

The Wilson ball short-hopped right fielder Morgen Billings and went to the wall to tie the game.

A walk followed before Deters caught a foul pop up to end the inning.

Now tied going into the sixth inning, Bowling Green hit restart on the offense.

Pinch hitter Jade Meier led off the inning with a single, going to second on an error.

A batter later Feldewerth came to the plate.

Mallory initially tried to sacrifice the runner to third, but put a bunt in foul territory sent the count to two strikes and a change in strategy.

Now swinging away, Feldewerth fouled off a pitch, then blasted another 0-2 pitch over the center field fence to put the LadyCats up 3-1, electrifying the huge home crowd.

Deters was the next in line for Bowling Green and, just like in the district championship, went back-to-back with Feldewerth for her forth home run of the post-season and a 4-1 advantage.

Just one batter later, third bagger Kaylyn McKee put a big bow on the inning with a long, towering home run to right center.

The third home run sent Comstock to the dugout and Bowling Green to the Semifinal.

Harness only allowed one more runner to reach, retiring six of the final seven hitters she faced to seal the win.

In the Sectional on Wednesday, the Lady Cats got a quick tour of the city, were able to play on a Division 1 college field at St. Louis University and finally beat the district 7 champion Metro Panthers in four innings 20-0.

Sarah Harness silenced Metro bats, including Ayanna Tomlin, who led the St. Louis metro area with sixty-seven RBI during the season.

Harness struck out eight batters in her four innings of work and picked up her third no-hitter of the postseason.

Gabi Deters put Bowling Green up in the first inning with a two run single, then scored on a long home run from Kaylyn McKee.

Bowling Green scored five more runs in the top of the second . Anah Noble sent a one out hit to the gap in right center, rounding the bases for an inside the park home run.

KateLynn Charlton drove in two with a triple and Haylee Chandler singled in a run in the frame.

Jade Meier led off the LadyCat third inning with a pinch single, scoring on a triple by Noble with one out.

Anah and Mallory Feldewerth scored on a McKee triple and Chandler picked up her second RBI with a single.

Bowling Green led 13-0 after three innings, but had their biggest output one inning later.

The Lady Cats scored seven times in the their final at bat as Noble completed her quest for the cycle with a RBI double and Feldewerth, Deters, McKee, KateLynn and Kinley Charlton all drove in runs for Bowling Green.

After the pair of heavy hitting wins, the LadyCats move to Springfield, MO for the MSHSAA Championships, a first for the program.

Bowling Green will take on the Kelly Lady Hawks (23-6) in the Class 2 Semifinal on Friday.

Game-time is set for 10:00 a.m. from the Killian Softball Complex.

TribCast will bring you the event live with pregame beginning at 9:45 a.m.