NEOSHO, Mo. — Down to their final three outs, the Webb City Cardinals rallied for three runs in the seventh inning on the way to a 3-2 win over McDonald County in the Class 4 District 6 championship game on Friday.
The Mustangs end the season with a 24-7 record and graduate seniors Madeline McCall, Melanie Gillmig, Mariana Salas, Madison Grider, Adasyn Lynch, and Zoe Parish.
IN THE CIRCLE
Laney Taylor earned the complete-game win after allowing two runs on four hits, three walks and four strikeouts in seven innings.
McCall took the tough-luck loss after giving up three runs on five hits, four walks and 11 strikeouts.
GAME ACTION
The Mustangs used the long ball to take the lead in the bottom of the second. Jacie Frencken jumped all over the first pitch she saw and drove it over the wall for a solo home run to give McDonald County a 1-0 lead.
McDonald County added insurance in the bottom of the fifth inning. Parish drew a walk with one out in the inning and came around to score later in the frame off a deep single from Nevaeh Dodson to push the lead to 2-0.
It all came down to the team’s final three outs for Webb City after going scoreless for the first six innings of play. Kaylyn Gilbert started the top of the seventh off with a triple to right-center field. Gilbert came around to score on an Emalee Lamar single to trim the lead to 2-1.
After a lineout from Lauren Hicks for the second out and a walk to Ripley Shanks, Dawsyn Decker singled over the third baseman to load the bases. Peyton Hawkins followed with a single up the middle that got through the wickets that pushed across two runs home to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead.
UP NEXT
Webb City hits the road for a matchup against Rolla in the quarterfinal round of the Class 4 state tournament on Oct. 21.
