ROLLA, Mo. — A second straight trip to the Final Four wasn’t meant to be for the Webb City Cardinals.
Rolla defeated Webb City 10-9 in nine innings on Thursday in a quarterfinal contest of the MSHSAA Class 4 state softball tournament at Rolla Middle School.
The Bulldogs (30-8) advanced to the semifinals on Oct. 28, where they’ll meet Incarnate Word (17-11) at 2 p.m. at the Killian Softball Complex in Springfield.
The game was deadlocked when the Bulldogs plated three runs in the top of the ninth inning. The Cardinals, the home team on the scoreboard, got two runs back in the bottom half, but they were unable to tie it up before the final out was recorded.
Webb City, last year’s Class 4 runner-up, ends the season at 17-13. Shauna Friend’s Cardinals were led by nine seniors.
Webb City overcame a pair of three-run deficits to force extra innings.
Rolla’s Jessica Mace launched a two-run home run to left in the top of the second before Keira Chrisco’s solo home run to right gave the Bulldogs a 3-0 advantage in the third.
The Cardinals plated four runs in the bottom half of the third.
Senior standouts Peyton Hawkins and Emma Welch blasted back-to-back home runs to get the Cardinals on the board.
After singles from both Hannah Wells and Kaylyn Gilbert, Morgan Brannon reached on an error to load the bases. After two outs, Lauren Hicks delivered a two-run single to right field to give the Cardinals a 4-3 lead.
The Bulldogs responded with four runs in the fourth. Riley Wassilak and Mace both hit run-scoring singles. Another run crossed home after a pop up before a sac fly made it 7-4.
But Hawkins smacked a two-run home run to left in the bottom of the fourth, trimming Webb City’s deficit to one with her second long ball of the game.
The Cardinals tied it up in the bottom of the sixth. Hawkins singled, Welch was hit by a pitch and Wells lined a game-tying RBI double to left.
After Gilbert walked and the runners moved up on a passed ball, Morgan Brannon lifted a fly ball into right field. Pinch runner Sydney Strickland sprinted home, the ball got away from Rolla catcher Chrisco and Gilbert crossed home, too.
But after an appeal, Strickland was called out for leaving third base too early, eliminating both runs, and the game remained tied at seven.
Webb City stranded two in the eighth before Rolla erupted for three runs in the top of the ninth.
Mckenzie McCarter hit an RBI double, Reagan Reedy added a run-scoring triple and Madison Mace contributed an RBI single to make it 10-7.
Webb City’s Emalee Lamar blasted a two-run homer to right in the bottom of the ninth to make it a one-run game.
The Cardinals had the tying run on second and the go-ahead run on first, but the Bulldogs retired the side to secure the win.
Rolla’s Madison Hamby was the winning pitcher. She allowed six earned runs on 13 hits while striking out seven.
Spencer, McCarter, Madison Mace, Jessica Mace and Wassilak had two hits apiece for the Bulldogs.
Freshman Laney Taylor took the loss. She went all nine innings and gave up seven earned runs on 13 hits with three strikeouts.
A Missouri Southern recruit, Hawkins went 3-for-3 with three RBI and three runs scored to lead the Cardinals, while Wells, Gilbert, Lamar, Hicks and Dawsyn Decker all had two hits apiece.
NOTE: Thursday’s other semifinal will feature Platte County vs. Washington. Platte County defeated Nevada 10-0 in five innings, while Washington beat Farmington 6-1.
