Through six innings on Tuesday night in Mexico, Centralia softball appeared to have the game pretty much wrapped up.

Centralia at Mexico (Pink Out) Photo Gallery

The Lady Panthers still won the district-opponent showdown 15-10 but not before Mexico mounted a nine-run rally in the seventh inning in its Pink Out game. Centralia finished with 20 hits, evenly spreading four RBI each with Kaelyn Walters, Cora King and Olivia Adams, and the Lady Bulldogs never-say-die attitude was led by Kenley Jones going 3-for-4 with three RBI and Hannah Loyd finishing 2-for-4 with two RBI and two doubles.

Centralia head coach Liz Bostick said the Lady Panthers’ bats were hot throughout the game but noticed a change from about the third inning on. They led Mexico 3-0 after two innings thanks to RBI hits from Bailey Schuering and Walters and then kept adding with solid contact until Centralia (7-4) led 7-0 after four innings and then 15-1 going into the bottom of the seventh inning.

“We were taking better at-bats,” Bostick said. “They are looking for the pitches that they want to hit instead of just getting up there and say. ‘Oh, I see ball, hit ball.’ It was more of being focused on what pitch do I want to hit at what time. I’m a big believer in taking pitches where they need go (on the field).”

Bostick said the Lady Panthers taking the pitches Emma Cunningham gave them, took their hits and depended on the next girl. 

Mexico head coach Hanna Branch said she liked her team’s approach at the plate in the final innings and how it mentally approached the game even at its bleak moments. There were even a few official calls on the field, like an illegal substitution that took away a hit and an illegal touching of Jo Thurman before she touched home plate that took away a solo home run from the Lady Bulldogs 6-6), which gave them “a little fire in their bellies.”

“I just appreciate how positive the girls where as they didn’t give up that whole time we were down,” Branch said. “They went up there and trusted themselves and were aggressive right away early in the count. They also let some pitches go that they were falling for in the beginning.”

Branch said it would have been nice if Mexico was able to score off Walters earlier in the game but liked how the long game ended. The Lady Bulldogs had seven hits in the seventh inning, which started with a couple errors, but gave the dugout more to cheer about as the sun set.

Bostick said Walters powered through the final inning as her other arm, freshman Jaylynn Brown, wasn’t really an option given that she hadn’t thrown in about 30 minutes and chilly conditions were setting in.

Walters had done her part at the plate by going 3-for-6, King was 4-for-4 with a double and a walk, Adams finished 2-for-4 with a double, and Ellie Page went 4-for-5. The three that finished with four RBI each bring a valuable aspect to the Lady Panthers, Bostick said, as has helped them compete even after losing many seniors from last season.

“Kaelyn for us has been the rock. She does not give up. It doesn’t matter what it is. She’s going to bear down for us in the circle and at the plate,” Bostick said. “Olivia Adams is not looking to be a hero. We’re not looking to hit it over the fence. For me, home runs are accidents. We just look for good line drive and put the ball in play a lot. Cora King is doing an outstanding job of making something happen. I had a little bit more power probably last year, but I’ll take base hit and I’ll take on-base percentage any day.”

Branch said she wasn’t completely sure what awakened in the Lady Bulldogs in the seventh inning other than the approaches at the plate looked better. Loyd and Jones combined to score the first Mexico run in the inning thanks to errors and then six out of the next seven batters reached base — with RBI coming from Kylie Burnett, Maddy Feger, Karlee Sefrit and Thurman — before they stepped back in. Loyd doubled down the left field line to score two runs and Jones found a hole for two RBI to close out her steady day at the plate.

“(Jones) was big down in our lineup,” Branch said. “I’ve been keeping her up, and I just wanted to give her some breathing room and try her in the different spot. She definitely lit things up in the bottom of our order, which we needed. I loved how it helped complete the lineup a little bit more.”

Mexico (6-8) plays at Webster Groves (8-6) at 10 a.m. today. Centralia (8-4, 3-0 CCC) plays another a Central Activities Conference matchup at 5 p.m. Monday at Monroe City (8-2, 3-1 CCC).