PARK HILLS, Mo. -- The Kennett Indians softball team put up a late fight but was unable to overcome a seven-run deficit in the final inning Thursday evening.
Park Hills Central withstood a late rally as it beat Kennett 7-2 in a MSHSAA Class 1 quarterfinal at Park Hills Sports Complex.
"I think our girls did a great job fighting, especially at the end," Kennett coach Laurie Vaughan said. "These girls never give up. Even when they get down they continue to fight and that's what they did today.
"I don't think we were as aggressive as we needed to be offensively, which is what hurt us," Vaughan added. "You've got to get runners on base to score and we didn't do that as much as we should have until the seventh inning. But we didn't give up and tried to fight back and I'm proud of our girls for that. I hate we didn't get to continue on, not only for our players but four our community that has supported us all year."
Kayton Harris, who finished 2 for 3, was the only Kennett player to record a hit off of Central starting pitcher Kimmy Wallen until the final inning.
Wallen, who has committed to play softball at Southeast Missouri State University, retired the first two Kennett hitters she faced in the bottom of the seventh.
Kennett followed with five consecutive two-out hits, including an RBI double by Caroline Byers and an RBI single by Emillie Johnson, which cut Park Hills' lead to 7-2.
"I think they just figured out their backs were against the wall," Vaughan said of the two-out surge. "They didn't have anything to lose and decided to go out and fight. I wish they would have done it a little sooner. You can't wait until the seventh inning to start that rally, but I'm glad we did. We hit some balls throughout the game but they were right at somebody. We were finally able to hit some balls in the gaps in the seventh inning."
Wallen escaped additional trouble by striking out Kennett leadoff hitter Meagan Pickens with the bases loaded for the final out.
Wallen allowed two earned runs, seven hits, struck out 14 and did not walk a hitter in seven innings of work.
Kennett starting pitcher Emillie Johnson also pitched seven innings. She allowed seven runs -- five earned -- on seven hits, struck out two and walked three. Johnson collected 15 fly ball outs and five ground ball outs behind a Kennett defense that committed just one error.
"Park Hills is a great offensive team," Vaughan said, referring to the fact they had scored at least 10 runs in a dozen games this season. "Give credit to Emillie Johnson on the mound and our defense. Emillie did a great job mixing up her pitches and our outfield did a great job going after the fly balls she got. She's done a great job filling in over the last month and has a great future on the mound."
Central scored two runs in the first inning, two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth for its seven-run total.
Caitlyn Holmes put the Rebels on top 2-0 when she collected a two-out two-RBI single in the top of the first inning.
Central added two unearned runs with two outs in the top of the fifth inning. One run scored on an infield throwing error before Jessica Hulsey followed with a two-out RBI single to plate another run.
Karissa Belfield had a two-out RBI double in the sixth. Maddie Manion and Chloe Coppedge also both plated a run on RBI groundouts.
Central (21-3) will take on Adrian (23-5) in a semifinal May 18 at 5 p.m. at Killian Softball Complex in Springfield.
Kennett finishes its season 16-10. It graduates six seniors -- Meagan Pickens, Madi Parr, Hailee Potts, Kamryn Nelson, Kayton Harris and Whitnee Duncan -- off a squad that repeated as champions of the Bootheel Conference Tournament and won a district title for a fifth straight season.
"The seniors have been great leaders for this team," Vaughan said. "They have been role models and we will have some huge shoes to fill. They have made themselves available to the underclassmen. They've done more than put up statistics and perform on the field. What the underclassmen are truly going to miss is the seniors being around, being part of the program and being their friends. That's the most devastating part is the core six are going to be gone."