‘It’s the best feeling in the entire world’: Highland wins Class 2 state softball championship

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Highland softball program’s 2005 state championship trophy finally has company.

The Cougars bested Mid-Buchanan 4-1 Saturday at the Killian Softball Complex to capture the Class 2 state title.

“I’m still trying to process it,” Cougars coach Paul Scifres said. “Hard to believe, pretty surreal.”

Cougars pitcher Abby Lay retired the Dragons in order on just seven pitches in the top of the seventh, but shortstop Keera Rothweiler said that half inning didn’t feel all that quick.

“It felt like it lasted longer than the entire game did,” Rothweiler said.

After Dru Pearson lined out to left fielder Shelby Frank and Kaylea Myers grounded out to Rothweiler, Adilyn Archdekin skied a pop up in Rothweiler’s direction.

“I knew there were two outs, and my body just kind of went crazy,” Rothweiler said. “I almost thought I didn’t have it for a minute.”

Scifres knew Rothweiler had it.

“As soon as (Archdekin) hit it and Keera’s camped underneath it waving her hands, me personally, I’m standing up and already walking out of the dugout,” Scifres said.

Rothweiler squeezed the ball in her glove, and the screams, hugs and dogpile ensued.

“It was probably one of the best feelings I’ll ever have in my entire life,” Rothweiler said. “Knowing that I got to make the last out to help us win that state championship, it’s the best feeling in the entire world.”

Lay felt on top of the world.

“It was so surreal,” Lay said. “It didn’t feel real.”

Lay was outstanding in the circle yet again on Saturday. She gave up just three hits, struck out seven and set down seven of the final eight batters of the game.

“Abby was Abby,” Scifres said. “She’s been so good for so long down this stretch. She was great, made some quality pitches in some tough situations, mixed her changeup really well, kept their hitters off balance.”

Lay didn’t give up a hit until the fifth inning.

“It was pretty evident that she was on her game today, and they were having difficulty putting her in play,” Scifres said.

The Dragons finally broke through with two singles followed by a fielder’s choice ground ball off the bat of Archdekin that brought in their first run and cut the deficit to 4-1. The Dragons got the tying run to the plate when Lay walked Sophia Smith to put runners on first and third with two outs. Lay battled Lindy Eaton for seven pitches before striking her out looking on a 3-2 pitch on the outside corner.

“I was kind of struggling in that inning, but I hit that outside corner and it felt like, ‘Oh, we got it,’” Lay said.

It took until two outs in the bottom of the third for the Cougars to give Lay a lead, and it resulted from Rothweiler’s ever-aggressive baserunning. Rothweiler singled with two outs and nobody on. She stole second on the first pitch to the next batter, Addy Abell, and took off for third on the subsequent pitch. Catcher Kaleigh Strong’s throw scooted away from shortstop Sophia Smith covering third, but not to the point where — at least in Rothweiler’s hindsight — she should have broken for the plate.

“That was definitely the wrong read,” Rothweiler said. “I probably shouldn’t have gone.”

Thankfully for Rothweiler and the Cougars, third baseman Morgan Marshall’s throw home sailed to the backstop, and Rothweiler crossed the plate to put the Cougars on the board. A pumped up Rothweiler pumped her fists in celebration and received a high five and hug from Abell on the way to the dugout.

“I’m happy the ball got past her,” Rothweiler said. “I think it was far enough away (from home plate when Marshall made the throw) to where I would have been able to turn around and at least get in a pickle to help myself maybe score or be safe somehow, some way. But once they made that bad throw, I was really happy about it.”

The Cougars tacked on three more runs in the fourth, the first of which came on a Hannah Ritterbusch squeeze bunt attempt that allowed Bailee Crist to score and Ritterbusch to reach first. The next batter, Catherine Darnell, lined a single up the middle on a 1-2 pitch to drive in Ritterbusch and Ali Lundberg and extend the Cougars’ lead to 4-0.

“Before I went up there, their team called a timeout and Coach Scifres had a little pep talk with me,” Darnell said. “He was talking about how in the cage I’m very aggressive and hit very strong, but out here I’m thinking too much and being too nervous about what’s the spin, what’s a ball, what’s a strike. I went up there with no fear.”

Scifres said the Cougars’ offensive mindset turned from tentative to aggressive around the game’s midway point, as evidenced by six of the seven batters that came to the plate in the fourth inning swinging at the first pitch. Lay, the only hitter in that inning not to take a swing at the first offering, watched two straight balls before singling.

“Standing there not being aggressive, not swinging the bat, not looking to attack the pitch was not going to get us where we needed to go,” Scifres said. “We needed to be more aggressive. They made the adjustments they needed to.”

The four-run lead combined with Lay’s dominant pitching helped the Cougars relax in a pressure-packed game and environment.

“With a 4-0 lead, you’re not playing as nervous and as tense,” Rothweiler said. “That helps you not make as many mistakes. With Abby pitching, I knew she would shut them down. She’s one of the best pitchers in northeast Missouri, and she deserved every minute of that ballgame.”

The Cougars showed themselves to be the best in the Show-Me State. They have the trophy to prove it, and it will look mighty fine next to the other one.

“It’s going to look amazing,” Rothweiler said.