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Portageville softball semifinal loss marred in controversy
SPRINGFIELD -- In the span of under a minute the Portageville Lady Bulldogs experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows.
Freshman Savannah Lovins provided the high with a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning that should have vaulted Portageville over Pleasant Hope in the Class 2 semifinals and into the championship game.
The umpires provided the low with a controversial decision to overturn Lovins' game-winning shot on appeal to end the game and cost the Lady Bulldogs a shot at their first-ever state title.
"I thought the game was over," Lovins said. "Then they called it and it was out. Everybody just fell apart."
Already with one game-winning, two-run home run this postseason, Lovins stepped to the plate in the top of the seventh with two outs and the tying run on first base as her team trailed 1-0.
Down to her final strike in a 1-2 count, Lovins sent a shot over the fence in deep centerfield that appeared to give her team a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Both the lead runner and Lovins were mobbed at the plate and headed to the dugout when Pleasant Hope's pitcher came to the plate with some fellow infielders. After drawing the attention of the umpires they petitioned that the lead runner missed the plate.
A meeting between the crew ensued before the first base umpire ruled that the lead runner missed the bag and, as a result, was out on the play. This represented the Lady Bulldogs' third out and as a rule, Lovins' run didn't count and she was left with a game-ending triple.
Despite protest to a quickly exiting umpire crew, Portageville was left in shock and with a 1-0 loss.
"When the home run cleared the fence I made an effort to back my players up just so this wouldn't happen," Lady Bulldog coach Billy Cook said. "I saw both kids touch the plate. It's an error on the three-man umpire crew. They're out there to get their heads together and call this game correctly.
"I think they blew it and that MSHSAA didn't stand up and make them come out and explain to us or even allow us a protest."
The ending ruined another stellar outing from junior pitcher Taylor Tiffany, who no-hit the Pirates through five innings, but was the the victim of an error in the bottom of the fourth.
A one-out walk was compounded when Pleasant Hope's runner stole second base and the throw from the catcher got underneath the fielding second baseman's glove. The ball rolled deep into the outfield and past the centerfielder, allowing the runner to score without a play at the plate for the game's only run.
Tiffany finished the game without allowing a run and striking out 14. She walked two and surrendered the Pirates only hit in the sixth.
While it's the final play that will sting the most, Portageville created opportunites all contest, leaving 11 runners on base, including the bases loaded in the sixth.
After thinking she'd have a chance to come back and shut down Pleasant Hope in the bottom of the seventh, Tiffany said, "To hear that call after the fact was devastating."
Besides coping with the loss of their title chance, the Lady Bulldogs were forced to regroup and hit the field three hours later to fight for third-place.
Rather than mope about what could have been, Portageville answered the bell beating North Platte 3-1 in 11 innings.
"It was a little hard coming back," Tiffany said. "But our coach told us to wear our emotions on our sleeve and give it our all this whole game."
Tiffany and Lady Panthers' pitcher Victoria Haugsness locked themselves in a pitching duel that saw both teams held to only a run each through 10 innings.
It was Lovins, after watching her home run called back earlier in the day, who sent her team home with a win.
The freshman stepped to the plate with runners on first and second and hit a line drive to deep left field just shy of the wall.
A tracking left fielder looked to initially collect it in her glove only to see it come loose as she tried to keep from slamming into the wall. Two runs would score and Tiffany pitched a scoreless bottom of the inning to collect the win.
"I thought it went over the wall at first," Lovins said. "But we still scored so that's all that matters."
Lovins' hit couldn't have come at a better time as Tiffany admitted the work load was catching up with her. Between the semifinals and third place game she was throwing her 17th inning in the 11th.
"By the end I was getting worn out," Tiffany said. "I told (third baseman) Mikayla Rone I have a little bit left in me, but I'm going hard right here."
Tiffany struck out the final batter she faced swinging to fittingly end what was a record-breaking night.
Play was paused and the ball was handed to Tiffany to keep after she caught the leadoff hitter in the seventh looking. The junior had just broken the state's single season record for strikeouts.
She closed out the game fanning 23 Lady Panthers to give her 37 strikeouts on the day between the two contests.
The new single-season strikeout record stands at 391, where Tiffany finished the night.
"My dad told me before the game," Tiffany said of the record. "I said I don't really need to worry about that. I just need to worry about getting through, getting outs and helping the team. If we get some runs and we'll be good."
Of his pitcher, Cook added, "It's been that way all year with us. Our hitting is sporadic, but she keeps us in the game with her pitching. She's just amazing."
Third Place
| Portageville | 000 | 100 | 000 | 02 | - | 3 6 0 |
| North Platte | 100 | 000 | 000 | 00 | - | 1 8 3 |
WP -- Taylor Tiffany. LP -- Victoria Haugsness. Multiple hitters: (P) Hanna Cook 2-5, Kelsi Miller 2-5, Savannah Lovins 2-5; (N) Regan Nash 2-5, Victoria Haugsness 2-4. 2B -- (P) Miller, Lovins; (N) Nash. 3B -- (N) Kaycee Hodgon.
Semifinals
| Portageville | 000 | 000 | 0 - 0 9 1 |
| Pleasant Hope | 000 | 100 | x - 1 1 1 |
WP -- Madison Daugherty. LP -- Taylor Tiffany. SV -- Ellie Lane. Multiple hitters: (PO) Taylor Tiffany 2-4, Jill Kellams 2-3. 2B -- (PO) Tiffany; (PH) Nichole Mosley. 3B -- Savannah Lovins.