Naff hits two grand slams, pitches shutout
Maintaining possession of first place in the KJCCC, the Neosho County Panthers swept Kansas City Kansas, 9-8, 12-0, on Thursday.
Thank Kamri Naff. A Chanute native, Naff had one of the best days you’ll ever see. The utility star tallied 10 RBIs, three home runs including two grand slams and tossed a complete game shutout in Game 2.
“She’s a great kid off the field and on the field, she leads vocally and by example,” Neosho County interim coach Mateighia Tanner said. “The girls want to follow her, and that’s why she deserves big moments. The softball gods reward her.”
Neosho County trailed in Game 1, 8-3, going into the bottom of the seventh inning.
“We weren’t playing Neosho softball. Our defense wasn’t on, our pitchers were struggling, our hitters were struggling at the plate. We were in a panic for a bit and stopped playing our game.”
After four straight batters reached base safely to score a run and load the bases, Naff stepped to the plate.
Staring down the barrel of a four-run deficit with the bases loaded and two strikes, the hometown hero refused to go gently into the good night.
Seeing the same outside rise ball that fooled her early in the at-bat, Naff sent the ball into orbit for a game-tying grand slam in Game 1.
“It was an outside rise ball and I’m a sucker for the high ones,” Naff said. “When I saw it come in, I knew she was going to try it again. I wasn’t going to be fooled twice.”
Tanner insists she’s clairvoyant.
“I knew it was going to happen. I had a feeling Kamri was going to hit a grand slam,” Tanner said. “I felt it in my bones. I just knew it.”
Jubilantly traipsing around the bases after tying the game, Naff had one goal in mind as she approached home plate.
“I was just telling myself to not touch anybody before home plate,” Naff said. “I dodged a bunch of my teammates to make it home.”
Naff then threw a shutout in Game 2 to tie the bow on her historic outing.
“I just lean on my teammates and my coaches,” Naff said. “They tell me that everything is going to be OK and I believe them.”
In Game 2, Kansas City Kansas, which entered the day tied with Cowley and Neosho County for first place in the conference, was shellshocked. The Blue Devils committed three errors while notching just two hits as the Panthers pounced on newborn prey.
“This is where we want to be,” Tanner said. “We want to face hard teams. We want to face the best teams in the conference. We played with heart. We were a little timid to start, but once we put the pedal to the metal, we were rocking and rolling.”
Brenli Solano, making her first appearance since being injured on the first day of the season, tossed the final two frames of Game 1 to earn the win. Solano struck out a batter and allowed just one hit.
“She got hurt in the second inning of the first game of the season and she has been out since,” Tanner said. “On Tuesday, she got cleared from her surgeon. She came to practice that day and said she was in. She’s mentally checked in and physically checked in. She’s going to be a huge asset for our pitching staff.”
Thursday’s win swelled Neosho County’s record to 25-11 overall and 13-1 in KJCCC play. The Panthers are tied with Cowley for first place in the conference.
Up next
Neosho County returns from the Easter break with a road trip to Johnson County, which is tied for third in the KJCCC, on Thursday.
“They’ll get some time away from softball and with their families,” Tanner said. “We want them to just be at home. But when they come back, we’re getting ready for Johnson County.”
