MEXICO, Mo. — The Palmyra girls softball team tried everything to get its offense going on Monday.
The Lady Panthers' superstitious parents and fans also tried their best -- by moving around to different seats hoping that would somehow change Palmyra's luck in Monday's 1-0 quarterfinal loss to Blair Oaks.
With a team as dominant as Palmyra has been during the past four years -- winning an unprecedented three straight MSHSAA softball state titles -- you can't fault the fans for figuring it was somehow their fault the Lady Panthers weren't winning.
"They were trying to help us out," Baxter said. "But for once it didn't happen. ... Some people just bank on us to be able to do that -- to be able to pull it out no matter what's going on. It just -- for once -- when we needed it to happen, it didn't."
The most improbable comeback that comes to mind is last year's district championship game at Flower City Park against Mark Twain.
If there was ever a game where Palmyra would lose, that seemed to be it.
Palmyra entered the bottom of the 11th of that game trailing 3-2 — and scored two runs to survive with a 4-3 victory.
"Never again" was the slogan that emerged after that game, as the players knew how close they had come to defeat. Sure enough, the Lady Panthers followed that slogan to a tee -- en route to their third state championship last October.
The run finally came to an end on Monday.
Before the Blair Oaks game, many in the stands commented how Monday's quarterfinal game would determine this year's Class 2 state champion.
Those fans are probably right.
Blair Oaks did what it had to do to advance.
But also credit veteran Blair Oaks coach Sharon Buschjost and her two-pronged pitching duo of starter Taylor Richter and reliever Lucy Marble.
That pitching change in the top of the fifth, proved to be one of the most important decisions of the game.
"We were hitting (Richter) and then they switched pitchers and we couldn't get anything going off (Marble)," Palmyra senior Jessica Van Nostrand said. "So we just kind of laid down, I guess. We couldn't find any way to score a run. It just happens."
Entering the game, it seemed the most interesting storyline would probably be the unexpected return of senior Kayla Wittler.
Wittler suffered what was considered a season-ending broken left thumb on senior night against Hannibal.
Wittler, whose thumb is still broken, said she switched doctors to have her cast removed less than five hours before the quarterfinal game. The right-handed first baseman played the entire game in the field (Sam Hudson batted for her) wearing a game splint.
Little did the second-year varsity player know it would be her last game.
It was anyone's guess how Baxter and Van Nostrand would react to defeat -- since neither had ever walked off the softball field to end a season without a state championship medal around their neck -- going 100-7 during their varsity careers.
Surprisingly there wasn't a tear in either of their eyes after the Lady Panthers broke their final postgame huddle.
"I guess I'm not one to cry about it," Baxter said. "I mean, I do have things that I'm looking forward to in the future -- that might help me out a little. But it's just, I'll think about it for a couple weeks -- I know I will. ... I just don't feel like it's worth crying about."
Both Baxter, who is headed to play softball at Illinois State University, and Van Nostrand, who is headed to play at Saint Louis University, definitely have bright futures ahead of them.
Van Nostrand, the consummate competitor with the perfect GPA, probably will be harder on herself than she should be. But Van Nostrand seems to be as mentally tough -- and as resilient -- as they come.
"It's emotional but, like, life goes on," Van Nostrand said. "There's nothing you can do about it now. It's just over with. It's a sad feeling. But good luck to (Blair Oaks). I hope they win."
— mgoldberg@whig.com/221-3367
