Diamonds erupt for nine in the sixth, top Smoke 15-11

*KC Diamonds outfielder Lexi Hastings got a big reception as she crossed home plate after her three-run home run in the second inning. The Diamonds went on to win the game over the Atlanta Smoke 15-11.*

The Kansas City Diamonds erupted for nine runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and outslugged the Atlanta Smoke 15-11 on Monday night, lifting their Professional Softball League record to 9-5 before a crowd of 1,250 at Legends Field.

For five and a half innings the teams traded the lead. Lexi Hastings staked the Diamonds to a 3-0 cushion with a three-run homer in the second, but Atlanta answered with back-to-back blasts from Jazmyn Jackson and Elizabeth Mason to lead 4-3 in the fourth. Riley Blampied tied the game with a solo shot in the fifth, and Lauren Lucas Thornhill followed with a two-run single that put Kansas City ahead 6-4. The Smoke pushed across two runs in the sixth to knot it again at 6-6.

Then the Diamonds broke it open. Kansas City sent 13 batters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, stringing together singles, walks, a hit batter, and a double from Hailey Cripe to score nine times and seize a 15-6 lead. Hastings, Cori McMillan, Cripe, Presleigh Pilon, and Blampied all drove in runs during the outburst.

Blampied earned offensive player of the game honors, going 3 for 4 with the home run, two runs scored, and two RBIs. “Oh, it felt amazing. I was ready,” she said of the long ball. “My teammates were like, ‘This one, she’s going to get it.'” She credited the lineup’s patience for the comeback. “We’re taking one pitch at a time, one inning at a time,” she said.

Hastings finished with a team-high four RBIs and matched Blampied with two runs scored. The outfielder, better known for her speed, recognized a juicy pitch right away. “I saw it thigh-high inside,” she said. “It kind of looked like a fatty.” She also pointed to the team’s refusal to fold when down. “We love the game, and we’re going to fight to the very end. That’s what KC’s all about,” she said.

Jori Heard started in the circle for Kansas City, and Savanah Henley picked up the win after relieving Heard in the sixth. The Diamonds staff allowed 11 runs on 10 hits, surrendering late home runs to Janae Jefferson and Taylor Krapf in the seventh that trimmed the final margin.

Allie Skaggs took defensive player of the game honors for her work at second base, part of an error-free night in the field for Kansas City. She summed up the club in four words. “We’re a bunch of grinders,” she said. “We love ball, and we love playing good softball.” She warned that the Smoke remained dangerous. “They’ve got a great offense,” Skaggs said. “They can swing the bat really, really well.”

Members of the Washington softball team posed on the field before the start of the game.

Washington coach Sim earns Diamonds honor

The Diamonds recognized Emily Sim, head softball coach at Washington, during the game, and several of her players joined her at the ballpark. The connection started with a phone call. “I reached out to the Diamonds earlier this year,” she said. The club provided tickets and nominated her for the in-game honor.

Sim said her job is to spark a love of the game in players who are just starting out “by building connection and relationships with them. They come and play the game and they fall in love.” Having a professional team minutes from campus “means a lot, and it shows a lot of strides that we’ve made as a community,” said the coach, who is also a social worker at Washington.

After the final out, Diamonds outfielder Rachel Roupe visited the Wildcats players, chatting with them about their softball experience, signing autographs, and trading social media handles.

Kansas City continues its three-game home stand against the Smoke on Tuesday, with first pitch at 6:35 p.m,. The Diamonds will follow with a three-game series at Legends Field from Jul. 2 through Jul. 4 against the New York Rise. Special events include fireworks following Friday evening’s game and a dog-friendly “Bark at the Park” day at Saturday’s day game.