Kyla Buchanan's two-out error in the top of the seventh allowed Nevada to score the tying run and send Tuesday's season-opener for the McDonald County Lady Mustang softball team into extra innings.
But Buchanan more than made up for the miscue in the bottom of the eighth. The senior third-baseman singled and later scored the winning run on a wild pitch to give McDonald County a dramatic 3-2 win.
"That put a few more gray hairs in my head than I had before the game," said coach Tray Shaddox of a game that saw both teams make outstanding defensive plays in the late innings. "The girls found a way to win. I told them the most impressive thing they did today was after letting Nevada tie the game with two outs in the last inning, they never quit and were able to come back and win."
Buchanan's late-game heroics made a winner out of senior right-hander Cheyanne Chappie. Chappie went the distance, allowing just two unearned runs on eight hits.
"Cheyanne threw a great game," Shaddox said. "Her control was great. She got ahead of the hitters the whole game. Her only walk was intentional. I am really pleased with how she threw."
McDonald County broke out on top in the bottom of the first. Coley Ickes led off with a double and scored on a one-out single by Hanna Schmit. The Lady Mustangs stretched the margin to 2-0 in the second on a back-to-back doubles by Courtnie Welch and Kali McClain.
Nevada cut the margin to 2-1 in the third on an error and a pair of two-out singles before the Lady Tigers tied the game in the seventh.
Even though both of Nevada's runs were unearned, the Lady Mustang defense made several outstanding plays. In the fifth inning, Nevada had runners on second and third when Buchanan dove to her right to snare a line drive and then tag the runner off third for an unassisted double play.
In the sixth, with runners on first and third, Buchanan fielded a ground ball, threw to Rachel Brown at first for the out who then threw to Chayleigh McCool at home to cut down the potential tying run.
In addition to those plays, Ickes had several nice plays at shortstop and Cloee Helm saved at least one run with a running over-the-shoulder catch in left field.
"Coley Ickes had an outstanding game," Shaddox said. "She had an exceptional game in the field and had three hits at the plate. She turned some heads today."
In addition to three hits from Ickes, the Lady Mustangs were led offensively by Chappie with a pair of hits and Schmit, McClain, Welch and Buchanan with one each.
McDonald County returns to action today at 5 p.m. when they host the Neosho Lady Wildcats. The Lady Mustangs then travel to Joplin Aug. 29-30 for the Joplin Tournament.
Sports on 08/28/2014