Late-inning heroics advance Nixa softball to the Class 5 District championship after defeating tournament-host Republic 5-4.

The No. 2-seeded Nixa Eagles and home team on the scoreboard trailed 4-1 heading into the last two innings. No. 3-seeded Republic Tigers scored two in the first and added an additional run in the second and fifth, jumping out to its quick lead.

Leading off the second, starting pitcher Bri Chilton was hit by a pitch. Then, Chilton was substituted on the base path for Mylee Harper, who eventually advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, and an RBI groundout by Rachel Clemenson scored Harper for its run in the second inning.

In the bottom of the fifth and Nixa trailing 4-1, the Eagles late-game surge began. The Eagles loaded the bases with no outs on a Grace West walk, Natalia Pharris being hit by a pitch, and Paige Garetson's single.

Rylee Harper's line-drive double to center scored West and Pharris, and Nixa trailed by just one. 

First baseman Sara Sweaney tied the game at 4-4 with a sacrifice fly to left. Two groundouts eventually ended the inning. 

In the sixth, Republic threatened and had two runners on first and second, with one out, but Chilton got two huge infield popouts to Sweaney and stranded the Tigers. Nixa was hit by a pitch but then went down in order in its half of the inning. 

Following, Chilton kept Republic off the scoreboard and gave her team a chance to walk the game off. 

The Eagles did just that.

Garetson, who was replaced on the bases for Mylee Harper, and Rylee Harper walked with no outs, setting up the game-winning run. On a one-and-one count, freshman Jordan Phillips saved her only hit of the game when it mattered most. Phillips ripped a single to left, scored Mylee Harper, and was swarmed by her teammates in jubilation, as the freshman sealed the 5-4 victory for the Eagles.

Nixa tallied six hits from Rylee Harper (2), Garetson, Phillips, Jayln Mabe, and Grace West.

Chilton earned the complete game win in the circle, allowing 10 hits and two earned runs with seven strikeouts.

The walk-off win sends Nixa to its third-straight district title game, where the Eagles will face top-seeded Willard on Oct. 16 at 5 p.m. Willard won its semifinal over Ozark 9-8 on a walk-off in the ninth.

The Eagles will seek to earn its second berth in the state tournament in three years and avenge its 3-0 regular season defeat to the Tigers.

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