Claypoole pitches, hits Lady Panthers to district tournament title

From left) Megan Claypoole, Morgan Fern, Kennedy Perkins, Tori Ishmael, Jayse Pennington, Sara Robinson and Sarah Hallock represented Fleming County and Rowan County on this year’s 61st District’s all-tournament team. Bath County’s McKenna Moore and Shelby Walker, and Menifee County’s Allie Rogers and Brittney McElroy were also chosen, but are not pictured. Claypoole earned MVP honors. Photo by Brad Laux/1016sports.

Fleming County softball captured its third straight 61st District Tournament title. The Lady Panthers defeated Rowan County 1-0 in the championship game. Photo by Brad Laux/1016sports.

Megan Claypoole provided a little bit of everything for Fleming County in the 61st District Championship softball game.

The Lady Panther junior went the distance in the circle and was 2-for-2 at the plate as her team toppled Rowan County 1-0 to win its third consecutive district tournament title.

To boot, Claypoole also drove in the game’s lone run. To no surprise, she was named the tournament MVP.

“When we do everything right, play defense and Meg is on, we will be in games. It doesn’t matter who we are playing,” Fleming County coach Nathan Ryver said.

In a pitcher’s duel with Rowan County’s Jayse Pennington, Claypoole was dominant. She finished the game allowing just two hits, while striking out eight and walking one.

“My rise ball was (working well). They kept swinging at it and that helped,” she said. “That’s one of my go-to pitches.”

Virtually all of the night’s offense came in the first inning. Unfortunately, after the first inning came thunder and lightning, and the game was delayed for 61 minutes.

“In the first inning, I really considered walking Claypoole and pitching to the next hitter, because it gives us a force out. But I was afraid that I might get into a big inning and I know that if we get two or three (runs) behind now we’re in a tough grind to try to dig it out,” Rowan County coach Larry Slone said. “The one (run) they got, we just weren’t able to put anything together and get it back. My hat is off to them. They pitched well and played well.”

The Lady Vikings threatened in the top of the first inning after Sarah Hallock drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.

But, after that it was all Claypoole. She retired 20 of the next 22 batters she faced.

“She changed speeds a lot. She worked ahead most of the time. That’s one of the things we’ve talked to her about – getting ahead early. Then a lot of her off-speed pitches and her moving pitches get a whole lot more effective when she’s ahead,” Ryver said. “I thought she threw a couple real good change-ups. Tonight they worked the best that I’d ever seen. A couple of them looked like they hit a wall and just fell. (They were) very good change-ups, and she moved the ball around a lot and kept them off balance just enough to let our defense make the plays behind her.”

The only run the Lady Panthers needed came with two outs.

Morgan Fern got the offense going with a single to left field and Claypoole followed with a double to center field that scored Fern.

”I think pitching (and) defense (played a bigger role), because you have to throw strikes and get it in there and make plays and keep them from scoring, which is what we did,” Claypoole said. “Offense plays a big part in it, because we had to be able to score to get the lead. But, I feel like the defense (was more critical), because we had to keep them from scoring, too.”

The teams returned to the field after the rain delay, but the story was the same.

When I came back out, I felt more loose and more relaxed,” Claypoole said. “That helped a lot because during the rain delay you get together with your team and you know that you have to focus to win the championship.”

Rowan County (22-13) tried everything it could, but it just could not find an answer to Claypoole.

“Pressure is what you’re trying to put them under to have them have to make a play. When you play pitch-and-catch, the game gets a lot easier for them,” Slone said. “(But) if you get a ball on the ground, you’re hoping you get a break and they make an error. And that was (the story of) this ball game, when you have two nice pitchers.”

The two squads combined for five hits and neither made an error.

Hallock and Kendra Holbrook each had one hit for the Lady Vikings. Claypoole’s second hit came in the fourth. She was the only other Lady Panther to reach base.

Pennington was equally as dominant as Claypoole in the circle. The Lady Viking junior allowed just one run on three hits in six innings of work. She also had six strikeouts and did not allow a walk.

Fleming County improved to 20-11 with the win.

Claypoole, Fern, Kennedy Perkins and Tori Ishmael represented Fleming County on the all-tournament team. Pennington, Hallock and Sara Robinson were chosen from Rowan County. Bath County’s McKenna Moore and Shelby Walker, and Menifee County’s Allie Rogers and Britney McElroy rounded out the honorees.