CENTRALIA -- The Marion Junior High School softball team rallied from a six-run deficit in the sixth inning to stun Murphysboro, 10-8, and claim the SIJHSAA Class L state tournament championship Thursday at Centralia's Rotary Park.
Murphysboro (25-4) scored three runs in the top of the first inning and was up 8-2 going into the bottom of the sixth, with Marion's runs to that point coming on a two-run homer by Presley Barnett in the fourth inning.
That homer came after Jerzy Bittle was hit by a pitch. The bottom of the sixth started with Bittle being plunked again and Barnett going deep for a second time to make it 8-4 in a blink.
"Presley's home runs really ignited us," said Marion coach Joy Neal. "That was our spark plug."
Makenzie Nicholson then drew a walk and Alexus Hutchcraft went in to run. Ava Wong was retired on a comebacker, but then Karris Rhine and Addi Wall drew walks that were followed by run scoring hits by Bailey Long and Amelia Browning.
Bittle came back to the plate and put Marion ahead with a bases-clearing triple then provided some insurance when Nicholson singled to bring her home.
"Coming back from behind is our calling card," Neal said. "We've done it a lot this year. These girls never quit. They don't get down and they hold each other accountable."
Camryn Harre put down Murphysboro in order in seventh to give Marion its third Class L championship in the past six years. Harre had seven strikeouts in the win. The last out was a fly ball to Wong in left field.
The Lady Wildcats finished with a 26-1 record with the lone loss coming to Herrin. A game at Murphysboro on Aug. 16 was suspended by weather with Marion leading 7-3 after a grand slam -- fittingly by Barnett -- but was never finished.
Murphysboro was in Marion's tournament but lost to Elverado in the semifinals.
In the Class S tournament at Coulterville, Elverado won the title with a 12-3 win over Woodlawn. Grayville beat Crab Orchard, 4-3, in the third-place game.
In the Class M tournament in Pinckneyville, Smithton beat Trico in the championship, 7-5. Christopher outslugged Creal Springs Adams, 12-7, for third place.
