REPUBLIC, Mo. — Webb City secured a second straight outright Central Ozark Conference softball championship with a 5-4 win over Republic on Thursday.
The Cardinals improved to 21-2 overall and 8-0 in the COC.
Webb City pushed across a run in the first inning on Emalee Lamar’s RBI groundout, but the Tigers tied the game in the bottom half on Avery Romans’ run-scoring grounder.
The Cardinals scored four runs in the second. Peyton Hawkins hit an RBI single and Haidyn Berry launched a three-run home run.
Berry, who became the Webb City softball program’s single-season home run leader on Tuesday, now has 16 homers, which is tied for second-most in state history.
The Cardinals didn’t score after the second inning, but the visitors held on late.
The Tigers made things interesting late.
Republic plated a run in the fourth on a run-scoring base hit by AJ Fenske and the Tigers cut their deficit to one when Emi Essary hit a two-run home run to right in the sixth.
The Tigers had the tying run on second base in the seventh, but Berry retired the side to secure the win.
Berry went 2-for-2 with two walks and three RBI and was the winning pitcher, while Hawkins and Brynna Cupp had two hits apiece. Infielders Bri Batson and Hawkins both made key defensive plays in the field for the Cardinals. Berry allowed four earned runs on seven hits and struck out four.
Mara Lakey took the loss. Republic is now 7-3 and 4-2 in the COC.
Webb City hosts McDonald County (17-2) at 4:30 on Monday in a clash between the area’s top two teams.
