Kearney Catholic freshmen Perri Tidwell and Jersey DeVall don’t yet have driver’s licenses, but they do have a state softball championship trophy.
DeVall hit a two-run, inside-the-park home run and Tidwell tossed a three-hit shutout as the top-seeded Stars beat Bishop Neumann 3-0 in Thursday’s Class C state championship game at Bowlin Stadium to give Kearney Catholic its first state softball title.
“This is the best way to send out a group of seniors, and then the best way for a mom or coach to have their freshman daughter (Perri) come into and end their freshman year,” Kearney Catholic coach Sydney Tidwell said.
Clinging to a 1-0 in the fifth, Brenleigh Huxoll laced a triple to left with two outs. DeVall followed by hitting a sinking line drive into center. Cavalier center fielder Ava Hraban dove for the ball and it got past her and rolled to the wall. Huxoll scored easily, and Tidwell sent DeVall into score as well to push the Kearney Catholic (26-3) lead to 3-0.
“At first, I did think (Hraban) caught it, but then when I was rounding first, I was like, ‘Oh she dropped it,’ so that’s when I started going,” DeVall said.
She thought Tidwell might hold her up at third with a triple, but the coach had no plans of doing that.
“Even if they wouldn’t have bobbled it, I would have sent her,” Sydney Tidwell said. “She’s a really good base runner, and when she’s going that fast, you don’t slow her down.”
Kearney Catholic’s three runs were more than enough for Perri Tidwell. The freshman righty allowed three hits and struck out 10. She retired 12 consecutive Cavalier hitters from the first through fifth innings.
Tidwell pitched out of a jam in the seventh to clinch the title. Abby Furasek led off the inning with a single and Hraban followed with a walk. Tidwell struck out Lauren Sund for the first out and then walked Reiland Heller to load the bases.
Tidwell struck out Ashlyn Brabec on three pitches for the second out. Before Kylie Choutka stepped in, Sydney Tidwell looked at Perri and reminded her to focus.
“I know that in those big moments, when she’s listening to other people, I needed her to dial it back in and remember who she was,” Sydney Tidwell said.
“That was just a lot for me,” Perri Tidwell said. “Just her saying that and making me reset for myself just helped so much.”
Tidwell struck out Choutka to clinch the title and set off a celebration in front of home plate.
The win and putting the gold medal around Perri’s neck after the game was something that Sydney Tidwell had started thinking about when Perri started as team manager when Sydney became head coach.
“It just seems like three years ago, her as a manager, my husband and I were preparing for this moment and we kept saying, ‘Man, we’re already here,’” she said. “And then boom, we’re in the state championship game. It’s just crazy.”
Kynlee Ruyle opened the scoring for the Stars in the third with a double into shallow center field. The lefty hustled out of the box and slid in safely at second to get into scoring position. Huxoll singled to left to score Ruyle and put Kearney Catholic in front 1-0.
“My dad (first base coach Jon Ruyle) knows my speed, I feel like better than I do, so him just telling me to go, it’s just full trust,” Ruyle said.
Isabelle Stuhr scattered seven hits and struck out four for the Cavaliers (23-5), have finished as state runner-up twice in the past four seasons.
