August 25, 2015
Noe pitches, hits Sikeston to walk-off win over Twin Rivers to start season
Making her first career varsity start, Kylie Noe picked up the pitching win and delivered the game-winning hit to seal Sikeston's 6-5 comeback win over Twin Rivers.
By Chris Pobst -- Standard Democrat
sports@standard-democrat.com
SIKESTON -- Sikeston sophomore Kylie Noe hopes every varsity start can be this exciting.
Okay, maybe not as nail-biting, but she'll take the end result every time.
Making her first career varsity start, Noe picked up the pitching win and delivered the game-winning hit to seal Sikeston's 6-5 comeback win over Twin Rivers Monday at the Sikeston Sports Complex during the season opener for both teams.
Noe, who's first hit didn't come until the fateful seventh inning, struck out five and didn't allow a walk while Sikeston found themselves down by two runs entering the last frame.
"I hadn't been hitting real good but I wanted to get a hit for my team," Noe said. "I felt like I had a pretty good game pitching so I wanted to do more with my bat. I just needed to hit her home."
Sikeston (1-0) scored three runs in the last inning to secure its third straight, one-run victory over Twin Rivers in three years time. Sikeston's offense, who conjured up just one hit through the first four innings, sprung to life at just the right moment.
It's beginning to feel like the norm for three-year coach Eric Voorhees, who has seen the trend of first game jitters result in late game surges carry over each season.
"For my three years with the program its been that way," Voorhees said. "We just have first game jitters and then we're able to shake it off and relax. The girls became patient, got walks, then hits and it came through. It just took a little bit of time."
Six of Sikeston's nine hits came from the bottom half of the batting order and they were responsible for sparking the rally in the seventh. Madeline Witt, Tyeshia Mitchell and Camie Bard, who make up the seven, eight and nine hitters, each had two hits. Mitchell gave Sikeston its first hit of the season with a triple to right field. It later led to Sikeston's first run of the game.
"The bottom half of the lineup were just being patient and getting on," Voorhees said. "Then at the top we have some big hitters which helped us out. (The bottom of the order) set the table and started the rally."
Witt, Mitchell and Bard each singled to start the last frame. Natalie Groves, Sikeston's leadoff hitter, singled in Witt from third to pull the Lady Bulldogs within one run. Hanna Placek hit an infield grounder and Twin Rivers immediately fired a throw home to try and stop the speedy Mitchell from tying the game. The throw was late and Mitchell tied the game at 5-5 with no outs and the bases still loaded.
Noe approached the plate next and rifled a ground ball into left-centerfield to score Bard and end the game in Sikeston's favor.
"I had full confidence in everyone at that time," Noe said about being down by two runs in the seventh. "I knew we could get people on base because we practice those same scenarios."
It was a shaky start for Noe, who pitched for Sikeston's jayvee team and started at first for the varsity team last season. She gave up four runs in five innings, hit into a double play her first at-bat and then popped out twice before coming through with her clutch base hit in the seventh.
"I think I was more nervous about pitching so I went out and focused more on that," Noe said. "But, that won't happen again."
Twin Rivers (0-1) started the scoring and had Sikeston playing catchup all game long.
Sikeston's defense didn't help its sophomore starter much early on, committing five errors in the first five innings. All of which led to a run in some way or another.
"I think early on (Noe's) confidence was a little down," Voorhees said. "Pitching in front of a varsity defense is so much better than pitching in front of a jayvee defense and she kind of took her licks like she did last year on jayvee. But, she continued to throw strikes and we didn't see any walks from her. I thought all of her pitches were working great."
A groundout by Casey Nance scored Jaysea Morgan from third to give Twin Rivers an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. The Lady Royals added another run in the second behind a Sikeston throwing error and an infield single by Kylie Lewis.
Twin Rivers went ahead 4-1 in the fifth after consecutive errors allowed Kira Cunningham and Nance to reach safely. Cunningham later scored on a passed ball while Nance was brought home on a groundout to third.
Sikeston cut into Twin Rivers' lead with two runs of its own in the fifth but the Lady Royals added another in the sixth to hold a 5-3 lead.
"They played hard, but we had a couple fly balls that should been caught," Twin Rivers head coach Barb Cunningham said. "There were a couple key plays that were missed and we could have hit a little bit better. But, being the first game, we're getting warmed up. This is some of our tougher competition to start the season."
Kira Cunningham got the loss in the circle for Twin Rivers. She pitched all seven innings allowing nine hits and walking two and striking out one.
"She needed to move her pitches around a little more," Barb Cunningham said. "She normally does but she played a hard game. It's a first game."
Madison Holloway led Twin Rivers with two singles. Julia Hendrix added a double.
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