Centralia softball is on track for a season as good as last year's.

The Lady Panthers moved to 10 games above .500 with a 15-0 three-inning victory over Clarence Cannon Conference foe South Shelby (1-14, 0-3 CCC) on Monday at home not long after rankings were released that revealed Centralia (14-4, 4-0 CCC) was No. 2 in Class 3. The team lost in the Class 3 state championship game to No. 1 Oak Grove last year.

Monday's victory happened after Centralia celebrated Senior Night with a ceremony recognizing five seniors. Each senior scored at least one run as the Lady Panthers scored 12 runs with two outs to back junior Jaylynn Brown's perfect three innings with seven strikeouts. Gracie Banta had the walk-off hit, Cora King went 2-for-3 with a RBI double, Courtney DeOrnellis had a RBI double, Kassena Ridgel scored three runs and Madi Johnson scored one run.

Centralia Senior Night Photo Gallery

"It has been a phenomenal group," head coach Liz Bostick said about the senior group that has contributed to a 65-28 record over the previous three seasons. "I'm really going to miss this group of kids just because they know what it means to play like a team."

Bostick said it takes everybody starting with the all-state players at the top like Johnson and King. Pertaining to Johnson, Bostick said she is "one of the best hitters Centralia has had" and will reach base any way she can in the leadoff spot. King has overcome obstacles on and off the field, namely the several health issues that have popped up in her life, showing the great perseverance she has along with softball skill. 

"The lumps that life has given her has only made her stronger and made her love the sport more," Bostick said. 

King said she is grateful for the team and all of the experiences that have come with it. There are plenty of opportunities to make memories, as Johnson agrees that this team puts in the work.

"It's in our preparation," Johnson said. "We work really hard outside of game time."

It's who we are as a team," King said. "We work really hard in practice and also a lot of us work outside of practice. Our dedication to the sport allows us to be so successful."

King was voted by her teammates as the Queen of the Diamond, which is an annual award to goes to the top senior. Bostick said King definitely deserves the award, but the other seniors factored into the voting.

"It was super close this year," Bostick said. "Every senior had a vote. That tells you that their leaders, the kids like them and kids really want them."

Ridgel worked her up to a middle-of-the-order bat, Bostick said. As a freshman, Bostick said Ridgel had to make changes when she entered the program and all that work has paid off.

The Centralia dugout is a supportive environment, Ridgel said, and is a big reason her time in the program is so meaningful.

"It means everything," Ridgel said. "It's awesome and so fun to be part of this family, to get to know all the girls and be part of such a great team."

Even for the girls who don't get much playing time, Bostick said they have a role. She said Banta "has the biggest heart of any kid" even though she joked she's "not even five-foot tall." She and DeOrnellis, who "is stoic most of the time," encourage and help other people from the dugout and can come through when called upon.

"We're such a family and all together," Banta said. "We never are like arguing with each other, and we're always trying to pick each other up when we're down and we're trying to be better."

"We're always trying to be positive in the dugout and are picking everybody up every time," DeOrnellis said. 

All of this has contributed to Centralia picking up wins against tough and bigger competition, like what the Lady Panthers saw in last weekend's tournament at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. Bostick said Centralia benefitted from playing Class 4 and 5 schools.

Centralia has already seen Oak Grove (14-2) this season, losing 1-0 in a season-opening tournament in Independence. Bostick said Oak Grove has the No. 1 ranking because of that and will have emerge out of a tough district first -- which includes teams like Winfield, Mexico, Kirksville and Macon -- before a potential rematch with Oak Grove. 

"They're going to have it above us, and that's OK," Bostick said. "We're not ungrateful for what we've got. We know it does take a lot of work to get there, and it's not a given. Our motto this year is 'unity play like one,' but also we really need to just be us."