SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Wellington-Napoleon rallied from an early deficit to earn a 7-2 win over Jasper in the Class 1 state softball championship on Tuesday at Killian Sports Complex.
The Eagles (16-10) opened the game as the aggressor, plating two runs in the top of the first inning to stake themselves to an early advantage. The Tigers (19-2) responded with a run in the first and two more in the second to take a 3-2 lead. Wellington-Napoleon added insurance with one tally in the third inning before two runners scored in the fifth inning and a final run in the sixth.
Ayden Shannon was clutch at the plate finishing a home run short of hitting for the cycle and in the circle, earning the complete-game win after allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits and 14 strikeouts without walking a batter.
Grace Osborne took the loss after allowing seven runs, five earned, on 11 hits, two walks and three strikeouts in six innings for the Eagles.
Jasper wasted little time reaching the scoreboard as Livia Dumm led off the game with a double to center field before coming around to score two batters later on a one-out RBI single to center field by Bri Haddock for a 1-0 lead. A second run came home in the top of the first inning when courtesy runner Crystal Smith stole third and scored on an error when the throw to the bag ended up in left field to push the lead to 2-0.
Wellington-Napoleon answered back with a run in the button of the first inning when Ayden Shannon tripled to right field before scoring on the throwing error back to the infield to trim the lead to 2-1.
The Tigers tied the game in the top of the second inning when Melanie Thornburg tripled past the left fielder to plate Kailey Henry, who singled with one out in the previous at-bat. Thornburg came around to score later in the inning on an error to give Wellington-Napoleon a 3-2 lead.
Ayden Shannon doubled to lead off the top of the third before coming around to score from third later in the frame on a single up the middle from Isabelle Miller to push the lead to 4-2.
Ayden Shannon collected her third hit with a single in the bottom of the fifth before stealing second and scoring on an RBI single to right field by Morgan Hamilton to make the score 5-2. Another run came home in the inning on an RBI infield hit from Henry with two outs.
Bree Shannon doubled and scored on a run-scoring single by Brilynn Zykan in the bottom of the sixth.
Dumm had two hits and scored a run, while Haddock had a hit and drove in one for Jasper.
