CARTHAGE, Mo. — A pair of big innings propelled the Carthage Tigers to a 12-1 run-rule win over the rival Webb City Cardinals on Tuesday in Central Ozark Conference softball action.
Carthage pushed across six runs in the third inning and five more in the fourth.
The Tigers improved to 10-8 overall and 1-2 in the COC, while the Cardinals fell to 5-6 and 2-1 in conference play.
The hosts took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on Landry Cochran’s RBI single to left, but the Cardinals tied it up in the top of the second on Alex Maturino’s bloop RBI single into left.
Carthage scored six times in the third inning.
After two hits, the Cardinals failed to corral Jenna Calhoon’s squeeze bunt, allowing Aven Willis to score. An RBI groundout off the bat of Cochran made it 3-1.
Webb City’s third error of the frame allowed Carthage to take a three-run advantage before Ashlynn Jackson delivered an RBI single for a 5-1 cushion.
Later in the inning, Shelby Hegwer’s two-run single extended Carthage’s lead to 7-1.
In the fourth, Jackson and Brooklyn Dolon-Main hit RBI singles before Hegwer launched a three-run home run for a 12-1 lead.
The game ended after the Cardinals failed to score in the top of the fifth.
The loss snapped Webb City’s five-game winning streak.
Carthage’s Ashlyn Brust, Lexa Youngblood, Dolon-Main, Cochran, Jackson and Hegwer all had two hits apiece, while Hegwer drove in five runs.
Six different players had one hit apiece for the Cardinals, with Maturino recording the lone RBI and Lily Hall scoring the run.
Jackson was the winning pitcher. She limited the Cardinals to one run on six hits and struck out two in five innings.
Karsyn Cahoon was charged with the loss after allowing two earned runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings. Laney Taylor gave up five earned runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings.
Carthage is at McDonald County on Thursday, while Webb City hosts Nixa on Thursday.
