A late rally by Republic was too little, too late in an 8-7 loss at home to Willard Tuesday. Republic entered the bottom of the seventh inning trailing 8-3, scored four runs, and put the tying run on second base and the winning run on first. But the rally fell short when Willard pitcher Abigail McMillin — who had started the game, been relieved, then came back in — struck out Sammi Watson to end the game.
Willard had taken advantage of control problems by Republic starter Piper Dishman to build a lead. Five of the runners who scored for Willard reached base on walks. Willard led 4-0 before Republic scored its first run in the bottom of the second. Dishman singled to lead off and scored on an error to make the score 4-1. In the third, Gracie Woods singled, stole second, and scored on a single by EmmaLee Essary to make it 4-2.
Willard added two more in the fourth and Republic added a run in the fifth when Annabelle Gerhardt-Hobbs drove in Watson to make the score 6-3.
Willard got to insurance runs in the seventh and needed them. In the bottom of the seventh, Woods was hit by a pitch and Essary drove a home run over the left centerfield wall to draw Republic within three, 8-5. Gerhardt-Hobbs, Dishman, Addie Brown, and Lilli Richerson all walked, and after a wild pitch the score was 8-7. That’s when McMillin relieved Hannah Burks, the pitcher who had relieved her in the fifth inning. She got the final out and would have earned the save — except that she was also the winning pitcher, and by rule, the winning pitcher cannot get a save.
Republic falls to 4-2, 0-1 in the Central Ozark Conference.
