Flatonia Girls’ Amazing Comeback ‘Kinda Like a Movie’

There are comebacks, and then there’s COMEBACKS.

What the Flatonia girls softball team was able to do Saturday in their regional semifinal game against Holland was so dramatic that head coach Shane Walker said “someone described it as kind of like a movie.”

Things were so dire for the Lady Bulldogs after they fell behind 10-6 and then got two outs in the final inning that at least one player was already in tears.

“When you get down by that much it’s such a huge mental battle,” said senior Allie Uzzell. “It was just awesome to see us come back from that.”

But one out away from their season being over, five consecutive Flatonia players reached to turn that four-run deficit into a 12-10 win.

“The ending of our last game, the emotions were so raw and we really came together at the end of that game,” first baseman Blakely Richter said.

For that team-wide effort, we’re proud to honor the Lady Bulldogs as this week’s Fayette County Athletes of the Week.

“They never gave up,” Walker said. “It was just one batter at a time, trying to keep things going ... They found a way to get things done.”

Brynlee Zimmerman, Jalee Trussell, Emma Kosler, and Kara Croyle all faced the prospect of being the final out of the season but reached base to keep the rally going and tie the game.

“We just kept on hitting,” Kosler said.

Then Brealey Nieto came to the plate with the score tied and smacked a double to centerfield to put Flatonia up.

“It was very stressful,’ Nieto said. “I had to do my part. As the designated hitter, that’s my one job.”

But there was still a halfinning play.

“We took the lead and went to the bottom of the seventh, made a great catch in left field, made a great catch at shortstop and then a ground ball to third to finish it out, and wrapped it up,” Walker said. “It is exciting to be going to the regional finals.”

Not to be overlooked in this comeback was the pitching of Trussell. Holland scored eight runs off the Flatonia sophomore in the first inning Friday, but she bounced back to allow just two runs over the next six innings in the complete game effort.

“I just started hitting my spots and trusted my defense,” Trussell said.

Heading to the fourth round of the playoffs is not something many thought the Lady Bulldogs would be able to do after finishing the regular season fourth in their own district.

“All four of us (from the district) are playing in the regional finals (Flatonia’s playing versus Ganado in the Division 1 bracket. Shiner is playing Weimar in the Division 2 bracket). Us playing Shiner, Weimar and Ganado had prepared us for the playoffs. Now we’re all playing each other to go to the state semifinals. It’s a testament to our whole district. These girls, they have believed, all year, they haven’t given up. I give it all to them, I’m just here along for the ride.” Walker said.

• Next up for the Flatonia girls is a best-of-three regional final series in Columbus against Ganado. Game 1 is Thursday May 15 at 8 p.m.

Game 2 is Friday May 16 at 6 p.m.

If needed, Game 3 will be Saturday May 17 at 10 a.m.

• Check out our interview with all of the Lady Bulldogs players on the Fayette County Record’s facebook page and youtube channel.