WINFIELD — You can knock down Winfield sophomore pitcher Maci Knowles. Keeping her down is a whole other story.
Knowles was felled by a line drive to the midsection in the third inning. She dropped like she took a knockout punch.
But she got up. Knowles dusted herself off and remained in the game.
Knowles went on to strike out 12 in leading the Warriors to an 8-4 victory over the Palmyra Panthers in the Class 3 District 3 softball championship game Tuesday afternoon.
It was the first district title for the Warriors (19-11) since 2012.
With two outs in the third inning and the Panthers leading 1-0, senior Lexie Peuster smoked the ball up the middle. It hit Knowles, who toppled to the dirt.
“I did not see the ball come back to me at all,†Knowles said. “I felt it. I knew I needed to be there for my team. I knew I had to fight through it. It’s been a special season for us all and I wanted to keep being a part of it.â€
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Immediately, Winfield coach Nathan Bruns ran to the pitching circle. Her teammates gathered around her.
“First and foremost, I care about the kid,†Bruns said. “I wanted her to be OK. Softball goes out the window at that point. I sprinted off my bucket the second it happened.â€
After shaking off the pain, Knowles threw a few warmup pitches and declared herself able to continue.
“It did hurt,†Knowles said. “I told coach I was OK.â€
She would not come out of the game.
“I know it sounds cliché, but she had that look in her eye,†Bruns said. “I told her you have to be honest with me kid. I saw we have other arms. She said, ‘I got this.’ I put my faith in her and I wasn’t about to take her out then. She wanted to stay in and said she could do it.â€
But another blow struck the Knowles and the Warriors.
Senior Hailey Kroeger belted a 2-2 pitcher over the fence in left, giving the Panthers a 3-0 lead.
“My top four hitters have come through all year long,†said Panthers coach Jenny Jansen, the former Warrenton High standout who went on to a standout career at SIU Carbondale. “Hailey likes the rise ball and that was good matchup for her. This was her last game and she was ready in the big moment.â€
Knowles ended the inning with a strikeout.
“I think she was a little mad there,†Bruns said. “She was humming it more than she usually does.â€
Jansen thought that was a game-changing move.
“That was big momentum shifter for them,†Jansen said. “Their pitcher coming back after getting hit and then giving up a home run and then getting a strikeout was big for them. They took advantage of that.â€
Bruns did not disagree.
“When you’ve got a horse in the circle like Maci, you have to ride,†Bruns said. “She got stronger.â€
The Warriors bounced back. Senior Raegan Gebert led off with a single to left off losing pitcher Arizona Mitchell, a sophomore. Claire Shoemake, a sophomore, bunted and Palmyra third baseman Madi Fessenden was unable to make a play.
Junior shortstop Riley Havican sent a 2-1 pitch soaring over the fence in left center tying the game 3-3.
“With runners on base and us behind, my whole mindset is to get the runners home,†Havican said. “That’s my job, get the runners in. The swing felt amazing. I was just like see ya. It was great.â€
It was her second home run this fall.
“She’s one of those girls who finds the right time to execute,†Bruns said. “She’s had timely hits for us all season.â€
The Warriors went ahead 7-3 with a four-run fourth inning. Gebert singled up the middle with one out, scoring junior Sophie Reinebach, who reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second. Shoemake singled to deep short. Havican reached on a fielder’s choice that forced out Gebert at third. Senior catcher Jaycee Gillette hit a run-scoring single and junior Camile Schulte drove in the final two runs with a single.
Palmyra added an unearned run in the sixth.
Winfield’s final run came in the sixth on an RBI double by Reinebach.
Jensen was pleased with her club in the losing effort.
“I thought it was a well-played game,†Jansen said. “It came down to them making adjustments on our pitcher and we didn’t make enough on their pitcher. They outhit us today. We only had one error so we played pretty good defense. I can’t complain. It’s win or go home now. I hate that it ends today. That’s softball.â€
Winfield came through in a big game, Bruns said.
“This was an intense battle. We got down early 3-0. I don’t recommend that whatsoever,†Bruns said with a grin. “Our hearts beat a little faster then. But I have faith in these girls. We continue to dig ourselves out. That’s what a special group and a special team does. I couldn’t be more proud of them.â€
Happy birthday
Gebert turned 18 years old Tuesday. After the game, she was given numerous balloons.
“This win is the best birthday present ever,†said Gebert. “Winning district is the highlight of my senior year."
She played a big role in the win. Gebert scored a run, hit two singles, and drove in a run.
“I’m proud of what I did and of our team,†Gebert said. “It’s amazing.â€
Bruns believes Gebert would come through in the game.
“She’s a senior leader for us,†Bruns said. “She told me before the season she wanted to try second base and we gave it a try. She’s been lock down on defense all season and at the plate. I couldn’t be more proud of her.â€
Shaky start, strong finish
Havican made two errors in the first inning.
“There were a lot of nerves early there,†Havican said. “It is a big game. I found ways to bounce back. This team had my back.â€
She made a throwing error trying to nab a Panter running for third base. Later in the inning, she misplayed a fly ball with the bases loaded. The out was automatic, but an alert senior Belle McBride raced home when the ball was lying on the infield for the first run of the game.
“That’s very not common for her,†Bruns said. “She’s been a stalwart out there. She has great hands and great feet and moves well out there at short. She’s a team captain and she finds a way to have faith in her. She’s able to dig herself out.â€
She did on the last play of the game.
McBride smacked a hard grounder to Havican in the seventh. Havican responded by throwing her out at first to end the game.
Havican missed last season. She tore her right ACL during soccer season for the Warriors and was unable to play softball.
“I was really stressful for me,†Havican said. “It was like a wrecking ball for me. Softball is my life. I’ve always played it.â€
She’s back and healthy this season. However, she said she’s not going to play soccer again.
“I’m done with soccer,†Havican said chuckling.
Hit happy
The Warriors banged out 12 hits off Mitchell and freshman reliever Marney Plunkett, who pitched the final three innings. Havican, Shoemake, Schulte and Gebert each had two hits in the victory.
A team win
Bruns credited all his Warriors after the game.
“I want to give a shout out to the girls who didn’t get a chance to get in the game today,†Bruns said. “I told them we are 17-team strong. They made their presence known even when they weren’t out there. They were loud on the bench. It’s a family culture. Everyone has bought in.â€
State history
Palmyra: The Panthers have won five state championships with one second and one fourth-place finish. Palmyra last won a district title in Class 2 in 2012.
Winfield: Has one third-place finish in the final four.
Up next
Palmyra: The season is over. The Panthers finished with a 9-16 record.
Winfield: Will host the Hallsville Indians (24-3) at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
“They’re strong,†Bruns said about Hallsville. “We take it one at a time. We know we have a challenge ahead of us. Luckily, we get to be at our place. I’ll you what, we’ll be ready to roll for sure. I couldn’t be more proud of these girls and our town. We take a lot of pride in our softball team.â€