Fatima softball team reaches goal

Preparing for Final Four

Fatima's Sammey Bunch gets a jump from third base as Makayla Buscher stands in at the plate during a game this season in Westphalia.
Fatima's Sammey Bunch gets a jump from third base as Makayla Buscher stands in at the plate during a game this season in Westphalia.

WESTPHALIA, Mo. - The Fatima Lady Comets have made deep playoff runs before. But in the last three years, they haven't reached the biggest stage.

After falling in the state quarterfinals in 2012 and 2013, the Lady Comets and their six seniors finally achieved the goal they've been aiming for since their freshman year.

"I think with that experience and not getting into the Final Four - the seniors really had the drive this year," Fatima head coach Dana Scheppers said Wednesday. "They came into this season and said, "This is the year.' They wanted to do it and they were determined from the first day of practice to work hard to reach that goal.

"Now that we're there, they want to win it."

Fatima (19-7) will take the first step in bringing home a state title when the Lady Comets take on the North Platte Lady Panthers (27-1) at 2 p.m. today in a semifinal game at Killian Softball Complex in Springfield.

"We're a great group of girls," senior pitcher Leah Kesel said. "The seniors have been playing together for a long time, so I think it was our time this year. It's been our goal since freshman year to make to the Final Four."

The motivation level could not been any higher for Fatima entering the season after the Lady Comets, the top-seeded team in their district last year, suffered a 3-1 loss to No. 4 New Bloomfield in the title game.

Scheppers' group was determined not to let that happen again.

"Last year, we just weren't ready to play," Kesel said. "We made sure this year we were mentally and physically ready. I think that has really helped us."

Kesel threw a two-hitter to lead Fatima to a 9-1 win Saturday against Centralia in the quarterfinals. The Lady Panthers had two losses entering the contest and had knocked off the Lady Comets twice during the regular season.

Kesel also hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning as Fatima rallied to beat Blair Oaks 8-7 in a sectional game. The Lady Falcons scored four runs in the top of the frame to take a 7-4 edge, but the Lady Comets answered back.

"It takes a lot to beat Centralia and Blair Oaks to get to the Final Four," said junior shortstop Sammey Bunch, who is hitting .506 with 23 RBI this season. "They're very good teams."

Scheppers took it a step further while describing Fatima's two most recent wins.

"I feel like we beat two really good teams to get where we're at," she said. "I feel like two of the best teams in the state - we defeated on the way to the Final Four. We beat Blair Oaks, who is an excellent team; we beat Centralia who is an excellent team. I feel like right now, we can beat anybody."

It is fair to say Fatima is peaking at the right time. The Lady Comets have won 13 of their last 14 games, only falling 5-4 on Oct. 4 to Helias in the final game of the regular season.

"Up and down our lineup, we're hitting, and if we can do that, we're a tough team to beat," Scheppers said. "Not many times you see a team that can hit one through nine like we've been able to do."

Fatima is hitting .341 as a team and has outscored its opponents 195-81 this season.

Pitching and defense have also been strong suits for the Lady Comets. Kesel has gone 15-4 with a 1.58 ERA and has struck out 121 batters in 1232/3 innings.

"(Kesel) has been pitching very well lately, so give credit to her, as well," Scheppers said. "If she can continue that, we'll be fine. She's hitting her spots and mixing it up better than she was at the beginning of the year. She's just all-around getting more comfortable with it, and the defense behind her is outstanding."

Kelsel has struggled with a shoulder injury throughout the last two seasons, keeping the Lady Comets' ace on a strict pitch count this year. Despite a few minor setbacks along the way, Kesel has been on top of her game late in the year.

"Last year, late in games I would start struggling around the fifth inning," Kesel said. "I feel like I've started to overcome that this year and have been able to push through the whole game."

Senior catcher Morgan Brandt, who is hitting .446 with five home runs and 42 RBI, agrees Kesel has made significant strides.

"She's definitely improved lately," Brandt said. "She's confident in throwing all her pitches now."

Fatima hopes that will carry over to today.

North Platte, the No. 1 seed in District 14, held off No. 3 West Platte 2-1 in 10 innings in the title game. The Lady Panthers went on to claim a 7-6 win against Holden (14-11) in sectionals and rolled to a 10-2 victory against Brookfield (20-7) in the quarterfinals.

The Lady Falcons aren't making much of North Platte's record.

"One loss doesn't mean anything," Bunch said. "We just have to go in like we do any other game, and just have the confidence we're going to win - just play like we always do."

While Fatima has seven losses on the season, they have all come to quality opponents. And Scheppers hopes a challenging schedule will benefit the Lady Comets when it matters most.

Fatima dropped two games to Jefferson City, a Class 4 team that is also heading to the Final Four, and fell to Centralia twice during the regular season. In addition to the Helias game, Fatima other losses are to Hickman and Blair Oaks.