A solo home run by Savannah High School’s Emma Tipton provided the game-winning run on Saturday afternoon, with the Lady Savages beating the rival Chillicothe Lady Hornets 5-4 in the Class 3, District 8 championship game from Danner Park in Chillicothe.
While Savannah won the game, improving to 16-1 in the process, it was #3 seed Chillicothe that had early momentum, hit a solo homer by Kinlei Boley in the bottom of the 1st inning followed by a two-run shot in the home 3rd by Mika Hibner, giving the Lady Hornets a 3-1 lead.
From 3-1 down, Savannah chipped away at the lead, with a three-base error in the Hornet outfield putting Kaylence Cook on base in the 4th inning. A passed ball sent her home, cutting the CHS lead to 3-2.
Savannah took the lead away from the Hornets in the top of the 5th inning, with an Ella Bruner double driving in Kaia Calloway with the tying run, while a sacrifice fly by Maddie Graves sending Tipton home with the go-ahead run.
Chillicothe briefly tied the game in the bottom of the 6th inning, with a two-out single by Brooke Horton providing the tally.
Tipton’s game-winning shot in the visitors 7th inning came with one out, over the head of Chillicothe’s Sophia Luetticke and over the center field fence. The Lady Hornets, on three straight pop-outs in the bottom of the 7th, went down in order, ending the season with a record of 16-6, including a 16-2 mark and MEC regular season championship after losing their first four games of the 2020 season.
Chillicothe, despite the loss, was well represented in the Class 3, District 8 All-District team.
First Team honors went to Kinlei Boley, Hope Helton, Sophia Luetticke, Mika Hibner, and Kirsten Dunn.
Second Team honors went to Halle Rucker, Mollie Ellis, and Brooke Horton.
Here is the upcoming schedule for the Class 1 sectionals and the quarterfinals for Classes 2 through 5, as the playoff rounds next underway statewide this week:
Class 1 Sectionals (Wednesday, October 21)
Neelyville (14-9) at Vienna (18-4) – 4:00 PM
Marion C. Early (19-6) at Weaubleau (18-7) – 6:00 PM
Leeton (19-3) at Harrisburg (10-13) – 5:00 PM
Salisbury (19-6) at Silex (16-6) – 5:00 PM
Canton (15-0) at LaPlata (20-6) – 6:00 PM
Atlanta (15-4) at Braymer (14-9) – 5:30 PM
Pattonsburg (5-13) at Stewartsville-Osborn (11-11) – 5:30 PM
Princeton (15-11) at Platte Valley (19-3) – 5:30 PM (GAME ON KTTN FM 92.3)
Class 2 Quarterfinals (Wednesday, October 21)
Kelly (15-11) at Iberia (20-3) – 4:30 PM
Father Tolton Catholic (21-3) at Elsberry (14-10) – TBA
Monroe City (19-6) at Marceline (23-1) – 6:00 PM
Penney (16-8) at Sherwood (20-4) – 3:30 PM
Class 3 Quarterfinals (Wednesday, October 21)
Perryville (18-5) at Bowling Green (18-7) – 5:00 PM
Sullivan (18-9) at Logan-Rogersville (27-6) – 4:30 PM
Blair Oaks (23-6) at Centralia (17-12) – 6:00 PM
Odessa (17-4) at Savannah (16-1) – 5:00 PM
Class 4 Quarterfinals (Thursday, October 22)
Farmington (20-11) at Webster Groves (13-2) – 4:15 PM
Rockwood Summit (10-3) at Fort Zumwalt South (14-8) – 4:00 PM
Bolivar (16-6) at Webb City (25-5) – 5:00 PM
Grain Valley (25-4) at Platte County (20-1) – 5:00 PM
Class 5 Quarterfinals (Thursday, October 22)
Notre Dame Cape Girardeau (25-2) at Marquette (8-3) – 3:00 PM
Fort Zumwalt West (18-4) at Rock Bridge (26-0) – 4:00 PM
Lee’s Summit West (17-10) at Kickapoo (23-3) – 5:00 PM
Lee’s Summit North (26-3) at Park Hill (18-8) – 3:00 PM
