To go from last place in league play to tournament champion, the Dr. Fox Orthodontics Sub-Junior softball team just needed to get into a swing.
After belting 10 hits, half for extra bases, in a 7-0 semifinal win, Dr. Fox scored nine runs in the second inning of the final to beat Ozark FCU 14-2 Monday at McLane Park.
"Tonight, our girls hit from top to bottom of the lineup, so that was very key," Dr. Fox coach Dale Blancett said.
Rachel Eason hit a home run in both games and had three hits in the final along with Elizabeth Blancett, who tripled. Kaytlynn Scheffler, Ireland Gowen, Kiersten Crutchfield and Elizabeth Hill each had two hits for Dr. Fox, which had 10 extra-base hits in the final.
Emily Huddleston doubled twice for Ozark FCU, which jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Lily Davis scored and had two hits while leadoff hitter Miah Martin singled and scored.
Dr. Fox got a run back in the first Blancett singled with one out and scored on Eason's double. Ozark FCU kept the lead with a strikeout and a fly out to first base.
In the second inning, Crutchfield singled and scored on Kassidy Rosson's triple before a double by Makandah Buchanan. Hill and Angel Johnson each had a one-out double before Eason's homer put Dr. Fox up 8-2. Gowen doubled and scored on Crutchfield's second hit of the inning before Ozark FCU got consecutive groundouts to get back to the dugout.
Dr. Fox, which allowed six singles in the semifinal, retired nine straight in the final. They fielded three grounders to the left side of the infield and turned them into outs and also got groundouts to the pitcher and first baseman.
"We've had the good glove all year but both of these games tonight we hit the ball very well," Coach Blancett said. "Very well."
Fish & Pigg won the league title but Dr. Fox pulled off the upset with a 6-4 win in the first round.
"They just started hitting," Coach Blancett said. "It was all hitting."
Coach Blancett said the team was able to hit off the pitching machine in the tournament after practicing hitting off a tee. They were able to keep the momentum from the semifinal earlier in the night after extending a 2-0 lead with a five-run third to beat Skate City.
Ozark FCU scored four times in the top of the fourth to rally past Moore Funeral Service 5-4 in the other semifinal.
Huddleston circled the bases while Abbey Brown and Chloe Parkin each hit a triple in the semifinal for Ozark FCU, which had 10 hits.