October 15, 2014
Portageville Lady Dawgs upset Kelly for Class 2A District 1 title
PUXICO -- Class 2 softball in southeast Missouri hasn't seen much parity during the better part of the last half century. It's been owned by the Kelly Lady Hawks and not many have been able to knock them from the top rung. Portageville kicked that ladder from underneath their newfound rival and handed Kelly only their third district tournament loss in 29 years Thursday behind a dominant pitching performance from Taylor Tiffany for the 2-0 win...
Chris Pobst Semo News Service
PUXICO -- Class 2 softball in southeast Missouri hasn't seen much parity during the better part of the last half century. It's been owned by the Kelly Lady Hawks and not many have been able to knock them from the top rung.
Portageville kicked that ladder from underneath their newfound rival and handed Kelly only their third district tournament loss in 29 years Thursday behind a dominant pitching performance from Taylor Tiffany for the 2-0 win.
"It only takes one," Tiffany said about toppling the district's 26-time reigning champion.
This is Portageville's first win over Kelly in three years as a fall softball program making it their first district title in school history as well.
Portageville (21-6) had already been on the bad side of three Kelly meetings this season -- a 1-0 regular season meeting, a 5-2 loss during the Notre Dame Softballfest championship game and a 6-3 loss during the Jackson Invitational.
Tiffany, who transferred to Portageville from Arkansas a year ago, was on the losing end of each of those games and had fallen to Kelly's ace, Alexis Dock, each time as well.
"I came to Portageville last year and we faced her and I was like 'Wow. She was a good pitcher'," Tiffany said about Dock. "To come and win in districts and beat her, I'm on cloud nine right now."
Tiffany out-dueled her counterpart for seven innings. The Portageville junior sent down 13 batters in a row to start the game and carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning. She finished with seven strikeouts and allowed just three hits -- two of which came in the seventh.
"She was definitely on," Patton said about Tiffany. "She stayed that way all the way through the game."
With Tiffany and Dock -- who allowed four hits and struck out eight -- keeping offense at a minimum, one blink would end up sealing the deal. A freshman made Dock and Kelly flinch first.
Savannah Lovins squeaked a two-run home run over the left field fence on an 0-1 delivery in the fourth inning. It was Lovins' first home run of her career.
"I was looking for a strike to hit. Just something to get on base," Lovins said. "I thought it hit the fence like mine always do. I was surprised when it went over."
So were coaches and fans on Kelly's side.
There was confusion on the home run call when Kelly (22-5) left fielder Morgan LeDure crashed into the fence trying to make the catch. The ball sat just inches from the fence and no home run signal was initially made.
It wasn't until Lovins began to round third when the home run signal was made.
"I'm not sure if it did or didn't," Kelly head coach Rhonda Ratledge said. "I tried to argue but didn't know if it hit under or not. It was a weird-hit ball which is why I questioned."
From her vantage point, Patton said the ball hit off of LeDure's glove and over the fence. Another thing she was sure of was her confidence in Lovins.
"That doesn't surprise me at all," Patton said about the freshman coming up big. "She's one of our power hitters and she comes through when we need her to."
Another Portageville freshman, Alexis Glidewell, sent the Lady Bulldogs into the championship game Wednesday with a two-run, walk off homer over Saxony Lutheran. Those kind of rookie heroics have been the norm for Portageville this season.
"I love our freshmen," Tiffany said. "Our freshman have carried this team so much this year and I'm so glad they can join us this year."
Tiffany was threatened only twice. Shanda Reed was part of both moments breaking up Tiffany's no-hit bid in the fifth with a double to left-centerfield. Reed, however, was stranded at second after two pop fly's ended the inning.
"When you have two good teams going at it like that you knew this was the type of game it was going to be," Ratledge said. "It was a matter of one of their hits making it through."
Kristi Brucker singled with one out in the seventh to begin Kelly's last-ditch effort. The fiery Tiffany struck out Dock after reaching a full count letting out a loud yell after the swing and miss.
Reed took the first pitch she saw through the left side of the infield to put runner's on first and second, but Samantha Ratledge quickly fell behind 1-2 in the count and became Tiffany's eighth and final strikeout.
"I would throw at the elbows and they couldn't get around quick enough," said Tiffany. "They're a slap-hitting team and coming at them like that worked."
Portageville will play the winner of the District 2 tournament Wednesday. That district semifinal round between Jefferson (Festus) and Hancock or St. Pius X and Valley Park was postponed Thursday until today.
"Tiffany pretty much dominates in this area," said Ratledge who will lose six seniors. "They ride on that. They do have some hitters who will put it in play as well so that helps. You've got to have pitching in this area and they have it. They'll be okay moving forward."
Portageville 000 200 0 -- 2 4 0
Kelly 000 000 0 -- 0 3 0
WP -- Taylor Tiffany. LP -- Alexis Dock. Multiple hitters: (K) Shanda Reed 2-3. 2B: (K) Reed. HR: (P) Savannah Lovins.
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