To win, you have to put the ball in play.
That task proved difficult for the Malcolm softball team in its final weekend of the season. After advancing out of its subdistrict, the Clippers had the tough task of facing No. 2 Central City on its home field in the Oct. 7 district finals.
The Bison swept the best of three series by allowing Malcolm just one total hit in two games. Central City took game one 6-0 before punching its ticket to state with a 17-2 game two victory.
Jerzie Schindler was in control for 13 innings in the circle as the senior hurler struck out 22 Clippers while allowing 11 total baserunners. The one hit was a bunt single by Jessica Sandell.
“Jerzie is one of the top pitchers in the state,” Malcolm coach Jay Babb said. “But she can be predictable and I thought we prepared well for her. We gave up on our scheme way too early. We were passive and didn’t adjust our approach or our swings to get balls in play.”
Malcolm earned its spot in the district final with a pair of dominating performances in the Oct. 2 subdistrict at Malcolm. The Clippers had nine extra base hits in two innings in a 16-0 shutout of Raymond Central. Keira Farritor went 3-for-3 with a double and home run while Ava Helms was 3-for-3 with two doubles. Morgan Tiedeman had a triple and three runs batted in.
The Clippers’ bats stayed hot in game two, a 12-0 win over Ponca. Farritor completed a 6-for-6 day with two more doubles and two RBIs against the Indians.
Aryanna Myers had her best day of the year in the circle. The freshman allowed just one hit in nine innings of work while fanning 10 batters.
“Ary doesn’t have a ton of game experience,” Babb said. “Much of her success can be attributed to the defense making plays and the offense giving her some runs to work with. When asked to step into this demanding role, she did so without hesitation. We saw a lot of growth in her.”
Under a first-year head coach, Malcolm finished the season with a 12-21 record. The Clippers missed the state tournament for the first time since 2018.
“Coming from the world of select ball, I think I took a few things for granted coaching a school team,” Babb said. “There was far more fundamentals and softball IQ work that needed to be done than I imagined. The amount of time we have to teach it, especially after the season starts, is pretty limited. This was certainly a rebuilding year with so many young players and a new head coach.”
The Clippers will lose seven seniors from the program.
“The reason I wanted this position was those seniors,” Babb said. “They had never lost a district final game. It’s not what I wanted for them. They contributed more to the development of Malcolm softball’s future than they know. Letting them down hurts a lot.”
