Pearson’s clutch homer lifts Mid-Buchanan Over West Platte in championship clash
By Calvin Silvers
As fall sports begin to slow down, excitement is still in the air in Plattsburg, Missouri, where the Class 2 District 7 Softball Championship unfolded between the Mid-Buchanan Dragons and the West Platte Blue Jays.
With aspirations of capturing their fourth consecutive district title, the Dragons captured that goal in a decisive seven-inning showdown, defeating the Blue Jays 5-2 and securing a spot in the state quarterfinals against Carrollton.
“The girls make it easy, that’s the biggest thing,” Mid-Buchanan head coach Regan Nash-Archdekin said. “We’ve stressed this year about doing the little things right every single game and every single practice, and that’s what we did today. We did the little things right, had good at-bats, were clean on defense and our pitcher threw amazing.”
The game started with West Platte unable to find their rhythm in the top of the first, but the Dragons quickly took control in the bottom half. Morgan Marshall sparked the offense with a hit that sailed into the right-field corner, allowing her to sprint home for an electrifying inside-the-park home run, giving Mid-Buch an early 1-0 lead.
Mid-Buchanan’s defense was equally impressive, as pitcher Kaylea Myers retired the Blue Jays in order during the top of the second. The Dragons’ Dru Pearson laced a double in the bottom half, but West Platte pitcher Sophie Grier responded with a key strikeout to end the inning.
“I mean, we all worked together and we all pushed through at the end,” Myers said. “We always come out for a win. Just taking my time up there and I had to go find a piece of gum because I’m superstitious.”
Mid-Buchanan continued to build on their lead in the third. After a walk, a perfectly executed bunt from Sophia Smith set the stage with runners on first and third. A stolen base followed, and Lindy Eaton delivered with a sacrifice hit that brought in the runner from third. An errant throw from the first baseman then allowed the runner from second to cross the plate, extending the Dragons’ lead to 3-0.
With pressure mounting, West Platte responded in the fifth inning. Brook Allison connected with a towering hit that soared over the left fielder’s head for a double. A miscommunication on a pitch set the Blue Jays up with runners on second and third, and they capitalized with two singles, narrowing the gap to 3-2.
However, the defining moment came in the sixth inning. Pearson launched a two-run homer that not only cleared the outfield fence but also electrified the crowd, solidifying the Dragons’ grip on the game and securing their fourth straight district title.
“I was a little nervous, I kind of told myself that I needed to get this run in because it was going to be big, and I really tried and I ended up ending homerun,” Pearson said.
“The girls make it so easy, they’re coming to practice every day, they want to be there, they want more reps, they want to be the best that they can be and they want to do the little things right,” Nash-Archdekin said. “They want to do the things that it takes to get to where we want to be and where they need to be.”
