The Lady Tigers slugged a school-record five home runs en route to a 16-0 throttling of Cassville Monday. Emily Hall and Kami Holt each had two homers, and Lauren Strobel added one for the Lady Tigers. Holt’s last homer was the longest of the bunch, clearing the 200-foot fence by at least 30 feet. (Watch all five home runs above.)
Only one team has ever hit more home runs in a game in the history of Missouri softball. That was Pleasant Hill, which hit seven home runs at Excelsior Springs in 2011. Two other Central Ozark Conference teams — Webb City in 2006 and Nixa in 2009 — also hit five homers in a game.
The offense piled up 33 total bases, which also ties for second all-time in the MSHSAA record book, behind Palmyra’s 35 in a game in 2011.
Hall says during both home run at-bats, she was looking for a pitch at belt level or below. “I was just looking for my pitch…and whenever I saw it, I just hit it where it was pitched,” she says.
Plate discipline played a big role in the offensive outburst, according to coach Lee Dishman.
“We can’t make a pitcher good by chasing their pitch. We need to be…good, disciplined hitters,” he says. “Tonight our girls sat back there and got their pitch.”
Hall and Holt lead the team with three home runs apiece for the season.
The offense was so good that it overshadowed a great performance by Rachel Rook, who didn’t allow a hit in the shortened four-inning game. She struck out seven and walked two. Dishman says the shortened game will help Rook in the long run.
“The big thing about it is it saves some innings for Rachel,” Dishman says. “That saved her 15-20 pitches right there by putting this team away early.”
Holt led the offense with four hits, including her home runs. She drove in five. Hall drove in three. Strobel, Taylor Gold, Abby Norris, and Morgan Cantrell each had two hits apiece. Molly Zinecker scored three runs in the leadoff spot for the Lady Tigers.
Republic improves to 4-1. The Lady Tigers go on the road to Branson tomorrow night for a COC game.