Staley advances to Missouri Class 4 softball state championship

In the buildup for the Missouri Class 4 state softball tournament, the Staley coaching staff spent a few hours scouting its semifinal opponent. And during their examination, the Falcons’ coaches were left with a glowing impression of the Fox High School lineup.

“They can mash the ball,” Staley coach Jairus Tapp said. “I mean, they hit the ball hard.”

And that made Staley pitcher Alle Pattillo’s performance all the more impressive Friday.

Pattillo shut down the Fox lineup and led Staley to a 4-1 victory Friday at Killian Softball Complex in Springfield.

The Falcons will play for their first state title in program history at 10 a.m. Saturday, when they face Marquette, 22-7.

“(Pattillo) was pretty phenomenal,” Tapp said. “She doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but she locates. And she has nerves of steel.”

The latter came into play in the sixth inning, when Fox put the first two runners on base attempting to trim a three-run lead. Pattillo retired the side without any damage.

Staley scored two runs in the first inning, the first on an RBI single from Jordan Jenkins. Abby Klein, who had three hits, added the second on an error.

That was plenty to send the Falcons to the state championship.

“About 30 minutes (after the game), it was just like everything was normal,” Tapp said. “There was no buzz. They’re ready for tomorrow. They’re able to flip that switch pretty quick.”

Class 2: Lathrop 1, Portageville 0

Lathrop moved into the Class 2 championship game with a 1-0 win Friday against Portageville.

Lathrop, 26-3, will play Fatima at 2 p.m. Saturday in the championship.

Lathrop has allowed only two runs in its last three playoff wins. 　

This story was originally published October 23, 2015 at 7:44 PM with the headline "Staley advances to Missouri Class 4 softball state championship."