Preston's walk-off homer sends Centralia past Blair Oaks in title game

Blair Oaks designated player Hannah Schroeder takes a cut on a pitch in the eighth inning of the Class 2 state championship game against Centralia Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 at Killian Sports Complex in Springfield, Mo. Schroeder had an RBI single during the at-bat, scoring Emilee Jones.
Blair Oaks designated player Hannah Schroeder takes a cut on a pitch in the eighth inning of the Class 2 state championship game against Centralia Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 at Killian Sports Complex in Springfield, Mo. Schroeder had an RBI single during the at-bat, scoring Emilee Jones.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Madison Preston may not have won the Class 2 state championship for the Centralia Lady Panthers with her arm, but she made sure she did it with her bat.

The Centralia senior belted a two-run home run beyond the left-field fence to give the Lady Panthers a 3-2 win in eight innings against the Blair Oaks Lady Falcons on Saturday at Killian Sports Complex. The walk-off blast won the Lady Panthers their fourth state title in six years and erased the Lady Falcons' chance to complete a late-inning comeback, down to their final strike on multiple occasions.

"It's not exactly what I expected, but I'll take it," Preston said. "It's an indescribable feeling. I've worked so hard for this and for that to be the game-winner, it was incredible."

Preston, who has committed to play softball for Alabama, was three outs from pitching a no-hitter as the top of the seventh inning began, with Centralia leading Blair Oaks 1-0. Up until that point, she had retired 18 of the 20 batters she had faced.

She retired the first batter she faced that inning, but when Hannah Schroeder broke up the no-hitter with a one-out single hit back up the middle, Blair Oaks had finally rattled the all-state pitcher who posted just a 0.13 ERA prior to the Class 2 state tournament.

A groundout advanced Schroeder to second base, but the Lady Falcons were down to their last out. 

Macyn Wilbers drew a walk on a full count, then Kliethermes reached on an infield single that caromed off the third baseman's glove to load the bases.

The next batter, Mackinnley Hamacher, worked a full count against Preston, then drew a walk on a pitch in the dirt, forcing in Schroeder from third base to tie the game at 1.

"There's just something different about that last inning, how those girls looked in the box," Blair Oaks coach Sharon Buschjost said. "It was the 'do-or-die' I guess, and it was just something about their at-bats where they looked more relaxed in the biggest pressure of the game."

After Preston threw a ball to the next batter, Megan Mitchem, Centralia coach Jill Angell pulled her ace and brought in Kaili Hinds to pitch. Mitchem worked a full count as well, but she lined out to end the inning.

"By the time I made (the change), I waited one batter too late," Angell said of Preston, who threw 126 pitches in 62/3 innings. "We knew she was gassed, I just thought she could get through."

In the bottom of the seventh, Centralia's first two batters reached base, but Blair Oaks pitcher Makenna Kliethermes induced three straight fly-ball outs to send the game into extra innings.

Blair Oaks took its first lead of the game in the top of the eighth. With two outs, Schroeder delivered again with another single up the middle, scoring Emilee Jones to give the Lady Falcons a 2-1 lead and move them within three outs of their second state title.

"For a short period of time, players and fans got to feel a little of that (joy) that they didn't get to feel during the game," Buschjost said. "I would have liked for that feeling to stay with us on to the end."

Centralia had the heart of its batting order due up in the bottom of the eighth, however. Jaymi Freeman drew a leadoff walk to put the tying run on base and Preston, the cleanup hitter, came through with her home run, only one of three hits Centralia had off Kliethermes.

"They had the hitters that they wanted up in that inning," Buschjost said. "You can't pitch around one to get to the other, because both Preston and (Nicole) Duncan can do a lot of damage. It comes down to just the game of softball, where you give your best and they give theirs."

Kliethermes took the loss for Blair Oaks, throwing 134 pitches in seven-plus innings and finishing with eight strikeouts and four walks. The sophomore ended the season with 176 strikeouts and a 1.25 ERA, going 21 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run during the Lady Falcons' postseason run.

"Her junior and senior year, people better watch out, because she's probably going to bring it home," said Preston, who was Kliethermes' teammate during summer league softball.

Hinds earned the win, pitching 11/3 innings in relief. She allowed one unearned run on one hit. Preston struck out 13 batters and gave up one run on two hits with four walks.

Centralia scored its first run in the third inning. Freeman hit a popup with two outs that was dropped in shallow left field between Hamacher and shortstop Sydney Wilde. The ball then bounced into foul territory, allowing Shelby Salisbury to score from first base for the game's only run in the first six innings.

"It was tough, because in these games, one run has been winning the game," Buschjost said. " You do what you can to just leave it where it's at. You just keep battling."

Blair Oaks ends the season with a 22-9 record, bookending the year with losses to Centralia (29-1). The Lady Falcons started the season with a 15-1 loss in six innings against the Lady Panthers back on Aug. 25.

"We had a meeting last night and we talked about that," Angell said, referring to the season opener. "That was off the table. We could not even look at that. They're 5-0 and we're 5-0, because when we get to the first district game, we clear our schedule.

"You cannot think that we were going to play the same team that we played at Blair Oaks, and we didn't."

Blair Oaks loses seven seniors - including six starters - after this season. This year was their eighth appearance in the Final Four and they'll look to add to their streak of 11 straight district championships next fall.

"We were a pretty good team to start the season, and we were a pretty good team to end the season," Buschjost said.