BRANSON — Addi Lewis was rewarded Tuesday for the anticipation and devotion she’s had toward adding the drop ball to her repertoire of pitches.
Lewis dropped three shutout innings of relief on Branson while finishing off Ozark’s 14-7 triumph in the defending COC champs’ league opener.
“I had a little bit of a rocky start, but eventually I got there,” Lewis said of learning to throw a drop ball. “Coming off of having a fast ball and changeup, I was super excited to learn it. It was a big moment for me.”
Lewis is one of the growing number of pitchers around SWMO who are pupils of former Kickapoo and Iowa State pitcher Charissa Fuhr.
“I’ve seen her (for pitching lessons) since I was 9 years old,” Lewis said. “She's great, I love her. She's taught me everything I know, including the mental aspect of pitching. She's made such a big impact on me and has truly made me the pitcher I am today.”
Lewis was nothing short of a stopper at Branson while earning a save. She blanked the Lady Pirates, after they had banged out nine hits over the first three innings and jumped on top 7-5 after four frames.
Ozark has never lost to Branson.
Before battling Branson, Lewis had to battle nerves.
"It's a little nerve wracking,” Lewis said of coming in out of the bullpen. “You feel pressure. I had to remind myself that I have to have a lot of confidence and my team is always going to back me up. You have to trust your pitches and your spins and spots.
“Getting a strikeout to my first batter helped me get settled in,” she added. “Throwing a lot of strikes helped me get in a groove. We relied heavily on my drop ball.”
Lewis provided a much-welcomed heavy dose of relief for Ozark (5-3). The Lady Tigers have already allowed 51 runs, after going up 86 all of last season, with COC Player Of The Year Jordyn Foley in the center circle.
Foley was among several standout senior pitchers around the COC a year ago. If last year was a good time to be a pitcher, this year is a great time to be a hitter.
Nixa (1-3) has allowed a total of 18 runs in its last two losses. Joplin (7-5) is yielding an average of 7.6 runs a game.
This Ozark-Branson matchup bore no resemblance to the Lady Tigers’ 3-1 win against the Lady Pirates last year.
Ozark pounded out 15 hits on its way to plating nine unanswered runs over the final three innings.
Centerfielder Audrey Carlton belted a pair of home runs, second baseman Courtney Merrell collected four hits, shortstop Kaylee Linnebur contributed three hits and three RBIs and designated player Emily Griest also ripped three hits.
“We kept hitting, we didn't let off of the gas,” Carlton said.
The Lady Tigers had to adjust to facing pitching in the 40 mph range.
“We came off of a tournament (last weekend at Joplin) in which the pitching wasn't the fastest, so we were able to get adjusted,” Carlton said. “You've got to be very patient. It's good to be aggressive, but it has to be your pitch. You don't want to be chasing a pitch you don't hit very well. When you see (the ball) out of the hands (of the pitcher), you've got to know you have to wait for it and try to hit it to the right side.”
Carlton’s homer to left field in the third was aided by the wind. Her homer in the fifth was an absolute no-doubter, a line shot to center that banged off an adjacent tennis court fence.
At Ozark’s cozy confines, that ball likely would have cleared the fence by 75 feet.
“(The Branson pitcher) had thrown me a couple balls that at-bat and I told myself, ‘If she throws me (a strike), I'm going to smash it because I'm ready to hit,’” Carlton said. “I wasn't trying to hit a home run, I was trying to hit a line drive to right. But I guess the ball had other plans.”
Ozark 14, Branson 7
Ozark 212 040 5 - 14
Branson 312 100 0 - 7
WP - McCoy. LP - Morrison. Save - Lewis. HR - Carlton 2.
