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Seniors Marble, Cummings Power UCM to Victory
By David Boyce
Central Missouri senior Jessica Marble went into her at bat in the bottom of sixth Friday afternoon understanding it could be the last in her collegiate career.
The Jennies trailed by one in an elimination game against Missouri Western in the MIAA Softball Tournament at Blue Valley Recreation Center.
With one on and two outs, Marble blasted the ball over the left field fence to lift Central Missouri to a spine-tingling 7-6 victory over the Griffons.
“It was exciting,” Marble said. “I was trying to make contact and drive in the run and tie it up, but it turned out a little better.”
The win lifted the Jennies to 26-26. They have to win the MIAA Tournament to advance to the South Central Regional.
Odds are Central Missouri's season will probably end later Friday or Saturday. Top seed Emporia State and No. 2 seed Nebraska-Omaha have played well all season and are the favorites to capture the tournament title.
Whatever happens to the Jennies, they can fondly remember their win against Missouri Western on a cool, breezy day in early May. It was a victory that showed their character.
Missouri Western jumped to a 4-0 lead in the top of the second and had all the momentum.
The Jennies quickly answered with three runs in the bottom of the second, and the stage was set for two teams giving everything they had for one more game.
The Griffons increased their lead to 6-3 with two runs in the fifth. This time Missouri Western shut down Central Missouri in the bottom half of the inning.
Central Missouri was rapidly running out of outs when senior Krista Cummings came through with a mammoth two-run homer that hit the top of the roof of the concession stand beyond the left centerfield fence.
“I think that turned the game around,” Cummings said. “We started hitting really well and Marble comes up and hits a big home run.”
Cummings said she wasn't really thinking that this could be her last game.
“Honestly, we just wanted to keep on pushing,” she said. “Each at bat was important. We just have to come together as a team and fight, fight and keep on fighting.”
Missouri Western was clinging to a 1-run lead. The Griffons were nearly out of the sixth with a 6-5 lead when Marble put the Jennies ahead for the first time with the dramatic two-run homer.
“I felt a little pressure,” Marble said. “There is always pressure. It's kind of all or nothing. If we don't score we are done. I tried to stay as calm as I could. If it was my last at bat, I wanted it to be a good one.”
What a lasting memory?
But Marble didn't really have time to dwell on it. Central Missouri faced Fort Hays State in its next elimination 30 minutes later.
