Slaughter, Scott help power Eagles to first district title since 2020

by Michael Smith, Grain Valley News
 
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The 2024 season for the Grain Valley softball team was a historic one. It was also a heartbreaker.
 
The Eagles set the school record for wins last year, were ranked No. 1 in Missouri and was even No. 2 in the country according to the MaxPreps national rankings at one point.
 
However, the season didn’t end how head coach Flip Courter and his players wanted as the Eagles fell 4-1 to Columbia Rock Bridge in the district championship game.
 
Grain Valley had a chance at redemption in Monday’s Class 5 District 7 championship game against Blue Springs South. The Jaguars are a familiar opponent as they defeated Grain Valley on a walk-off home run in the district championship game in 2021.
 
This time, it was the Eagles that came through behind the home runs of sophomore Abe Scott and senior Olivia Slaughter and the solid pitching of Molly Jones in a 7-4 victory at Truman High School.
 
The district title win was the first for Courter and the first for Grain Valley since 2020. His team will take on the winner of the Park Hill-Liberty North District 8 championship game on Saturday at home in the state quarterfinals.
 
“For Grain Valley softball, we have been so good for so long,” Courter said. “We;ve been close to winning districts several times, including last year when we didn’t get it done. It feels good to get another week with these kids. I love them to death.”
 
A red-hot Eagles offense put up five runs in the first two innings, which helped set up the team for success to win. Coming in, Grain Valley scored six or more runs in nine out of its last 11 games.
 
“It feels good, it’s the first one of our high school careers,” Slaughter said. “We have such great chemistry. It’s great to see everyone succeed. We are all best friends.”
 
Sophomore Abe Scott got the offense going for the Eagles in the first inning as she hit a two-run shot to center field to put her team up 2-0.
 
“My sweet spot is middle in and that’s right where the pitch was,” Scott said.
 
Grain Valley senior catcher Olivia Slaughter added a solo home run over the left field fence in a three-run second frame, which included an RBI double from sophomore Mackenzie Rust and a run-scoring single from junior Madison Rust, making it 5-0.
 
Courter said power at the dish has been a strength for his team all season.
 
“After today, we have 46 home runs,” Courter said. “In our 1-9 spots in the batting order, all of our kids have at least one home run. We don’t need someone at second base to be in scoring position. We are in scoring position when someone goes up to the batter’s box.
 
South finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Carmack scored on Waters’ sacrifice fly off Grain Valley starting pitcher Molly Jones to make it 5-1. The Eagles then got two critical insurance runs in the fifth as Madison Rust scored on a sacrifice fly from senior Sydnee Wagner and Jones doubled on a sharp line drive to left to score Scott to push the advantage to 7-1.
 
After dominating the first five innings, the South offense started getting to Jones in the sixth. A two-run double on a line drive to left from senior Kaitlyn Gillen highlighted a three-run frame as South cut it to 7-4.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the first two South hitters reached base on bloop hits to the outfield and it had runners at third and second base with no outs against Jones.
 
The junior hurler was in a similar situation in the semifinal game against Blue Springs Saturday. She was protecting a 6-5 lead in the top of the seventh and the first two Wildcats reached base and were at third and second with no outs. Jones got out of the jam without allowing a run as she sealed the win.
 
She was under pressure once again on Monday and handled it well. South had 2024 second-team, all-state selection Ella Carmack at the plate as the tying run. Carmack hit a sharp fly ball to center field that was tracked down by junior Madison Rust for a fly out. Jones then got Kamryn Waters to fly out and blew a high-velocity drop ball by Kyndal Armstrong for the game-sealing strike out.
 
“It was a 3-2 count and I didn’t want to walk (Armstrong),” said Jones, who picked up the win and pitched a complete game, allowing four runs on 10 hits and striking out eight batters. “I just had to throw a strike whether she puts it in play or not. I trusted my defense. Olivia came out and told me to breathe and calm down. It ended up working out. That’s going to be my favorite moment of my high school career.”
 
Slaughter noted Jones has come a long way since her sophomore season.
 
“She’s grown a lot since last year,” Slaughter said. “She has handled her role well. She is very calm under pressure.”
 

The Grain Valley softball team wins the Class 5 District 7 championship after a 7-4 win over Blue Springs South. The Eagles will advance to play either Park Hill or Liberty North in the quarterfinals. Photo credit: David Rainey, Grain Valley News