PARSONS — In a risk-free finale, the Neosho County Panthers tied the bow on the regular season with a road sweep of Labette, 6-5, 11-8, on Friday in KJCCC softball action.
Both Labette and Neosho County entered the day with their seeds in the NJCAA Region VI Tournament — No. 5 and No. 2, respectively — locked into place.
“We just went out and played as free as possible,” Neosho County interim coach Mateighia Tanner said. “We wanted to finish the conference season with two wins. But we wanted to play free and have fun.”
Kamri Naff, one of the top contenders for the KJCCC MVP award, put the final touches on her resume.
Naff had two hits and four RBIs in Game 1 before earning the winning decision in the circle in Game 2. Naff also homered in the second game.
“At the end of the day, we’re looking to win as a team,” Tanner said. “We just want to pass the bat to each other. But Kamri had a great day at the plate and she stepped up in the circle. She finished the game against a scrappy Labette team. They’re not somebody to be overlooked.”
Makenzi Escoe earned the complete- game win in the circle in Game 1 for the Panthers, allowing five hits while striking out four.
Escoe induced a pop-up on a 3-1 count with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, a critical juncture in preserving the win.
“She stepped up as a freshman,” Tanner said. “She didn’t allow her nerves to overrule her. She stayed collected and produced for us. That was huge.”
Brinly Bancroft missed all of Game 1 and took just one at-bat in Game 2 as she nursed an injury — Bancroft homered in her lone plate appearance.
“We just wanted to allow Brinly to see a pitch and she stepped up,” Tanner said. “She just wanted an at-bat.”
Neosho County’s two wins pushed its final regular season record to 31-13 overall and 19-3 in KJCCC play. Labette dropped to 19-23 overall and 13-9 in conference action.
Up next
The NJCAA Region VI Tournament in Overland Park commences on Tuesday with Neosho County slated to face Allen in the first round at 6:30 p.m.
The Panthers are one of the favorites to win the tournament and earn an automatic bid to the NJCAA Division II national tournament. A deep run could also secure an at-large bid.
“Everybody at regionals is 0-0, so we have to show up and play Neosho softball,” Tanner said. “This is bigger than softball, right now. We’re trying to get Kim to her first national tournament. With the season we’ve had, we knew it wouldn’t be easy. Watching the girls band together, they’ve shown so much strength and courage. It’s been great to watch. Now we’re ready. Everybody’s 0-0 and everybody is going to bring their best.”
Paige Hutsell (51) of the Neosho County Panthers makes her way to home plate after hitting a home run on Friday during a doubleheader against the Labette Cardinals in Parsons. Sean Frye | Tribune photo
