Hand powers Kearney to Missouri Class 4 softball championship

Senior center fielder Hand hits two home runs, including grand slam, and drives in eight

By Nate Latsch

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Elysia Hand couldn’t believe it.

Kearney’s senior center fielder hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and set a championship-game record with eight RBIs in the Bulldogs’ 14-9 victory over Helias Catholic in the Missouri Class 4 championship game Friday at Killian Stadium Field.

“It feels amazing,” said Hand, who entered the day with four homers on the season. “I don’t know. I don’t have any other words. I’m kind of just speechless. I’m just amazed about everything, how the score went, how it turned out.”

Kearney (26-8) pounded out 14 runs on 12 hits to win its 11th straight game and capture its first state championship since winning the Class 3 title in 2005.

“Oh my gosh, it’s unreal,” Kearney coach Katelyn Birchfield said. “It’s just a great feeling. These kids worked hard all season long and to come out on top and say they are No. 1 in the state, it’s unbelievable.”

The top five hitters in the Bulldogs’ lineup accounted for 10 hits and 13 RBIs, sparked by the first two hitters — sophomore left fielder Macelyn Morrow and senior shortstop Jadyn Barnes (team-high three hits) combined to reach base six times and score six runs — powered by Hand and the middle of the lineup.

Freshman second baseman Brooke Paalhar, Hand and senior catcher Mackenzie Herndon, the No. 3, 4 and 5 hitters, combined for three home runs, six hits and 13 RBIs – including three homers and nine RBIs with two outs.

“This whole season they’ve worked very hard and they’ve come up clutch in big situations,” Birchfield said. “They just keep at it, and they keep that focus. They have that confidence in them. Every single one of the kids today had that confidence. Helias was a very great team and the kids just stuck with it, they were relentless, and they just kept fighting the whole game.”

Paalhar, who drove in three runs in the 6-3 win over Warrenton in the semifinals, gave Kearney a 6-1 lead in the fourth inning with a two-out three-run double to right-center.

Then Hand’s two-out grand slam in the top of the fifth inning gave the Bulldogs a 10-2 lead.

Helias Catholic (28-7) didn’t stop fighting.

The Crusaders, who were led by junior right fielder Karoline Klebba’s three-hit day, finished with nine runs on 13 hits.

Helias scored twice in the bottom of the fifth and then scored four runs in the sixth to cut the deficit to 10-8. Junior third baseman Alexandria Wilde had the key hit in the sixth with a two-run double.

Kearney responded in the top of the seventh.

With two outs and runners on first and second, Hand lined a three-run homer over the right field fence to extend the lead. The next batter, Herndon, made it 14-8 when she blasted a solo home run to center.

“When I went up to the plate, I was thinking I just need to make contact,” Hand said. “I need to make contact and hit the ball, it’s a new pitcher, new game, I just need to make contact in order to score a few more runs and have more insurance. That’s all I was thinking.”

Helias scored one more run in the bottom of the seventh, but freshman pitcher Katelynn Landewee was able to prevent further damage and secure the victory.

The Bulldogs celebrated their first softball state championship since 2005 and Hand, who will continue her softball career at Illinois College, had a day she’ll never forget with two homers and eight RBIs.

“It’s hard of kind of hard to believe,” Hand said. “I’m kind just speechless right now.”

Kearney vs. Helias Missouri Class 4 softball championship

Photos from Gordon Radford