STATE BOUND: Big sixth inning propels Holcomb past Oran in Class 1 softball quarterfinal

Photo by Dustin Ward, staff
Holcomb celebrates beating Oran 14-6 in a Class 1 state quarterfinal Wednesday at Holcomb.

HOLCOMB - Holcomb No. 9 hitter Allison Moody recognized the significance of the moment when she stepped to the plate with the go-ahead run at third base with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning Wednesday.

Photo by Dustin Ward, staff
Holcomb's Maleigh Lemings celebrates scoring a run against Oran Wednesday at Holcomb.

“I was kind of scared at first,” Moody said. “I got down in the count 0-2. But I finally saw the pitch I wanted and swung at it.”

Photo by Dustin Ward, staff
Oran's Alyssa Spane celebrates scoring a run Wednesday at Holcomb

Moody hammered the pitch she wanted to right field for an RBI single to put Holcomb on top of Oran 6-5. The clutch hit was the start of something much bigger for Holcomb in the bottom of the sixth inning. The nine hitters following Moody reached base as Holcomb added eight additional runs to pad its lead to 14-5.

“Allison had a huge at-bat right there,” Holcomb coach Matt Casper said. “She worked the count all day and finally reaped the benefits by hitting it the other way with two strikes. It sparked a huge two-out rally for us in the sixth."

Oran plated one additional run in the top of the seventh frame but Holcomb hung on for a 14-6 home victory in a Class 1 state quarterfinal.

“I’m glad we got to this point and didn’t let anyone down,” Holcomb senior first baseman Hannah Burk said. “I don’t even know what to think right now. It’s just mind blowing what we’ve accomplished.”

Oran fell behind 4-0 in the bottom of the first inning but made things interesting when it tied things up at 5-all after it scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning and two more runs in the top of the fifth frame.

“Our girls have battled back in games like this all year,” Oran coach Jim Eftink said. “We’ve had some come-from-behind and walk-off wins so I was not surprised we came back again today.”

Photo by Dustin Ward, staff
Oran third baseman Lillian Knotts makes a throw on the infield Wednesday at Holcomb.

The top of the Oran batting order delivered multiple times. No. 3 hitter Rylee Boshell, who collected a game-tying 2 RBI single in the top of the fifth inning, finished 3 for 4 with a team-high three RBIs for Oran. Cleanup hitter Alyssa Spane went 2 for 4 with one RBI and No. 5 hitter Hope Woodfin also plated a run for Oran.

Photo by Dustin Ward, staff
Holcomb pitcher Alyssa Brown fires a pitch to first base Wednesday.

“I cannot say enough about those girls,” Eftink said. “They are talented players who can bat and field their positions well.”

Photo by Dustin Ward, staff
Oran second baseman Kennedi McVay makes a throw to first base Wednesday.

Holcomb had seven hitters combine to collect 11 RBIs. No. 2 hitter Bailey Cupples finished 2 for 4 with one RBI, No. 3 hitter Burk went 2 for 4 with two RBIs, cleanup hitter Maleigh Lemings was 2 for 4 with two RBIs, No. 5 hitter Alyssa Brown had a hit and one RBI, No. 6 hitter Macy Houart went 3 for 4 with three RBIs, No. 7 hitter Kelsi Tucker had a hit and one RBI, and No. 9 hitter Moody delivered a hit and the game-winning RBI.

“We had a ton of energy today,” Burk said. “We got our bats going one through nine and everything worked out. Everybody did what they needed to do at the plate.”

Brown pitched 6 1/3 innings in the circle for Holcomb. Cupples relieved Brown and got the final two outs.

Alyssa Spane pitched the first 5 2/3 innings for Oran. Lillian Knotts relieved Spane and got the final out in the bottom of the sixth frame.

Oran finishes its season with a record of 20-4. It graduates Mallory Lowes, Kennedy McVay, and Alyssa Spane.

“We are going to miss the three girls that graduate,” Eftink said. “Our pitcher, Alyssa Spane, has been great on the mound. Kennedi McVay took over a leadership position this year and did great things for us and Mallory Lowes has played a heck of a center field for us this spring.”

Holcomb (24-4) will take on Wellington-Napoleon (18-1) in a Class 1 state semifinal May 20 at 7 p.m. at Killian Softball Complex in Springfield. The other state semifinal between Advance (18-4) and Purdy (28-1) is May 20 at 4 p.m.

Wellington Napoleon beat 2019 state champion Lincoln 4-0, Advance beat Crane 6-4, and Purdy beat Hume 10-2 in other state quarterfinal action Wednesday.

“I’ve been wanting this for this group for so long,” Casper said. “I was their P.E. teacher in kindergarten and watched them grow up. They love the game and I knew they had what it took. It’s a dream come true for them and me to reach the final four.”

Photo by Dustin Ward, staff
The Holcomb dugout celebrates a rally in the bottom of the sixth inning of its Class 1 state quarterfinal against Oran Wednesday at Holcomb.