LADY TROJANS 2ND IN STATE!

The Lady Trojans Softball Team had to wait for the rain to clear and the field to dry for the MSHSAA Championships from Friday to Saturday this past weekend.

The Lady Trojans had packed their gloves and bats and were ready to head to Springfield on Friday morning. The trip was delayed and the girls didn’t get to leave until about 12 noon. The team was escorted through ‘Downtown Potosi’ as they had family, friends and business people assemble along the sidewalks. Family members had signs and shouts for the bus load of Trojans as they went West. The team spent the evening enjoying a break and waiting for Saturday and game time.

The Trojans took the field at the Killian Softball Complex, on the field that S.M.U. uses for softball, at 4 p.m. on Saturday to face the Diamond Wildcats. The Ladies from Potosi were ready to play, with a few early nerves possibly.

The Trojans’ ace pitcher, Sami Huck, was in the circle and handled the Wildcats through the entire game. The Diamond girls put the bat on the ball a few times but couldn’t muster any rally.

The Trojans broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning with Sami Huck helping her cause with a walk to get on, a bad throw to first and Huck was on third base. Gracie Lawson hit a sharp grounder and it was a fielder’s choice that put Huck across home plate. Hannah Jarvis was on with a walk, sub-runner Emilee Hector was on first. Jade Williams hit to right center and was safe at first, moving Hector to third base. Emma Eaton blooped a single to right and Hector was home. Haylee Sanscoucie hit a grounder and was safe at first. Eaton scored and it was Potosi 3 and Diamond 0.

The score stood and Sami Huck dispensed the Diamond Wildcats through the next three innings. Huck had 14 strikeouts and gave up 0 hits. A no hitter for the Potosi Junior.

The win put the Trojans into the finals, set for 4 p.m. on Sunday to face the Skyline Tigers. Both teams had no hitters in the semi-finals bringing two outstanding pitchers to the State Class 2 Finals.

The game was slated for 4 p.m. but didn’t start until 5 p.m. after an entertaining and competitive third place game between Kennett and Diamond. Kennett took that matchup 6-2. The Trojans were the visitors and were up to bat first. The Lady Trojans bats were quiet and Ms. Huck was on her game, pitching from the circle.

The game was an even match-up with both teams counting on their pitchers to hold the line.

The Tigers stranded several runners through the innings with the Trojans having a few of their own. The standard seven innings came and went 0-0 across the scoreboard. The two pitchers, a ‘pitchers’ duel’, had Sami Huck facing Lilly Whitten of the Tigers for the entire game. The innings continued and the outs kept coming. There were challenges along the way, Huck facing runners on second and third with two outs, took the count to full before getting a called third strike.

In the 9th inning, there was a fly ball to right center by the Tigers, Haylee Sansoucie in right and Chelbi Poucher in center both headed for the catch, crossed paths with the softball going off Sansoucie’s glove and into the face of Poucher. The runner was safe on base. Ms. Poucher’s nose was bleeding steadily and the game was stopped temporarily as the MSHSAA trainer helped Chelbi. After a few minutes, Poucher ran back to center field to a warm round of applause by all the fans.

The game continued with attempted bunts, strikeouts and an occasional bat on the softball. In the top of the 12th inning, the Trojans had Jarvis, Williams and Eaton up and all sat down.

The bottom of the 12th seemed to be more of the same. The first out was a strikeout thrown by Sami Huck. The next batter hit a solid ball to left field that was off the end of a glove and she was on base. Huck had a passed ball and the runner was on third base. The next batter was another ‘K’ for Huck and that made it two outs. Next up took a pitch and hit a high fly ball that barely made it out of the infield, and it was surrounded by three Trojans. A catch wasn’t made, the ball hit the ground and the Wildcat runner, Keeli Holmes, crossed home plate for the only run of the game. A ‘walk off’ fly ball that made history for the Wildcats and the Trojans.

The Trojan Ladies were shocked, and disappointed after putting their hearts into the season and the final game, the State Championship, only to come up just short, 1-0.

Sami Huck hadn’t given up a hit until the 7th inning of the game. That was 13 innings of hitless softball. Whitten, of the Wildcats, didn’t have a hit by the Trojans until the 8th inning. The scorebook showed Huck with 28 strikeouts while Whitten recorded 17. It was an amazing feat for both ladies and the main comment after the game was, ‘Nobody should of had to lose that one”.

The competition was worthy of a state championship by any measure. The fans got to see a game that will be a part of history that many may talk about. The Lady Trojans were disappointed, a natural reaction, but the hope is that in retrospect they will understand and appreciate the amazing game they were all a part of - it is history. 2nd in State! Congratulations on a tough season that brought the team together and made many memories. Until next year, the Seniors for 2021 were Hannah Jarvis, Emma Eaton and Emilee Hector, the rest of the team should be back. Way to go Ladies! We’re proud of you!