C2D1: East Prairie rallies for upset over Portageville

East Prairie's Ava Bright (11), Riley Wilson (10), Addi Atters (3) and Alison Miller celebrate the final out during a 7-6 win over Portageville in the semifinals of the MSHSAA Class 2, District 1 Tournament at Malden on Monday, May 6, 2024.

Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

MALDEN, Mo. — In a dramatic upset, East Prairie rallied for a heart-stopping 7-6 victory over Portageville in the semifinals of the MSHSAA Class 2, District 1 Tournament on Monday, May 7.

“We have been telling them all year that they have this in them,” said East Prairie Jade Marcum. “Their bats caught fire. They have that capability. They’re just kind of a younger team and maybe haven’t been trusting themselves, but today they left it all out there.”

The game was a rollercoaster of emotions. the No. 3 seeded Lady Eagles (14-13-1) struck first, with Harper Marshall's double driving in Addyson Aters for a 1-0 lead in the opening inning.

The No. 2 seeded Lady Bulldogs (19-9) answered forcefully in the bottom of the inning, with Kate Murphy's RBI single and a two-run double by Bryleigh Adams pushing the score to 3-1.

Portageville extended the lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the second inning with a double by Murphy that brought home MacKena-Lee Swilley.

East Prairie narrowed the lead to 4-3 in the top of the fourth inning on a double by Chloe Jackson, scoring Alison Miller and Ella Dunn.

Portageville answered by widening its lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning with a double by Ja'Niya Smith that scored Murphy. They added another insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning with Swilley scoring on a passed ball.

With the bases loaded and the momentum squarely on the Lady Bulldogs’ side, Lady Eagles pitcher Riley Wilson faced a daunting task.

However, she kept her composure, inducing a groundout to escape the jam and prevent Portageville from further extending its lead.

This kept East Prairie within striking distance and set the stage for their incredible seventh-inning rally. The Lady Eagles came alive, with Aters, Marshall and Wilson launching three straight singles to start the inning.

Wilson's hit narrowed the lead to 6-4, injecting new energy into the dugout.

Sophia Jordan kept the momentum rolling, loading the bases for Kylie Shoffner, whose double brought the score to a stunning 6-6 tie.

In the next at-bat, Miller delivered the decisive blow, a line-drive double that drove in Jordan and gave East Prairie a 7-6 lead.

Wilson sealed the victory on the mound, throwing a complete game with impressive composure. She allowed two earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and three walked batters.

“She threw a great game,” Marcum said. “It even looked like she was throwing harder than we had been all day in that final inning.”

East Prairie's offensive outburst resulted in 17 hits, significantly outpacing Portageville's 7.

“Today they played to the best of their abilities and I am really proud of them,” Marcum concluded.

East Prairie (22-8) will take on top-seeded Kennett, ranked No. 8 in Class 2, in the championship on Tuesday, May 7 at 4:30 p.m.

The Lady Eagles will once again face the challenge of being the underdog. However, this group of special young ladies has proven their ability to shock the district and defy expectations.

EAST PRAIRIE 7, PORTAGEVILLE 6

W—Riley Wilson. L--Aubrey Greenwell. 2B—East Prairie: Ella Dunn, Alison Miller, Chloe Jackson, Harper Marshall, Kylie Shoffner; Portageville: Aubrey Greenwell, Bryliegh Adams, Ja’Niya Smith, Kate Murphy.