Centralia falls short of Class 3 state championship, finishes in second place

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KMIZ)

A six-run inning doomed Centralia in the Class 3 State Championship. Oak Grove posted a comeback win by scoring six runs in the final frame to take its first lead of game, propelling them to an 8-3 win to capture its program's first-ever state title.

Head coach Elizabeth Bostick's team entered the seventh inning in a 2-2 tie, scoring runs on an inside-the-park home run from Jaylynn Brown and an RBI double from Bailey Schuering. However, some shaky defense allowed Oak Grove to swing the momentum and plate six runs in the last inning.

Brown pitched seven innings in the circle, giving up three earned runs on six hits while striking out 11 batters. Schuering led the charge at the dish with a two-hit effort while Brown, Cora King, Claire Page and Kassena Ridgel each tallied one hit each.

Centralia ends its 2024 season by taking second place in the Class 3 State Tournament, following a 29-win campaign.