NEVADA, Mo. — Trailing by five, and just three outs away from a season-ending setback, things weren’t looking particularly well for the Carl Junction Bulldogs.
But the Bulldogs didn’t quit. Instead, they rallied.
Fifth-seeded Carl Junction erupted for 10 runs in the top of the seventh inning to earn a dramatic 19-15 victory over fourth-seeded McDonald County on Thursday in a quarterfinal contest of the Class 4 District 7 softball tournament at Bushwhacker Field.
With the season-saving win, Carl Junction (11-19) will meet top-seeded Nevada (25-7) in the semifinals at noon on Saturday.
This back-and-forth clash featured plenty of offense, as the teams combined for 34 runs and 35 hits.
Carl Junction plated a single tally in the first when Izzie Southern drew a bases-loaded walk.
The Mustangs scored four runs in the bottom of the first. The first run came home after two hit batters, a fielder’s choice and an error. Later in the inning, Natalie Gillming delivered a two-run single before Kylie Brooks hit an RBI single.
McDonald County added two runs in the second, as Kearston Hopkins homered and Jacie Frencken contributed an RBI single for a 6-1 lead.
The Bulldogs got a run back in the top of the third on Georgia Arnold’s run-scoring single.
In the fourth, Madi Olds homered to center and Southern hit an RBI single into left, cutting Carl Junction’s deficit to 6-4.
The Mustangs added two runs in the bottom half of the fourth to go up 8-4, but the Bulldogs responded with two of their own in the top of the fifth, as Ryleigh Palmer and Olds recorded run-scoring base hits.
McDonald County pushed across two more runs in the fifth, as a Hopkins double and a CJ error allowed a run to come home before Carlee Cooper homered to left for a 10-6 advantage.
The Bulldogs rallied for three runs in the sixth, as Arnold’s RBI single and Hannah Cantrell’s two-run double trimmed CJ’s deficit to one.
As they did all game, the Mustangs answered in the bottom of the sixth. Vivianne Latham and Hopkins delivered run-scoring singles and Cooper added an RBI double before Frencken contributed an RBI single for a 14-9 cushion.
Heading into the top of the seventh, the game was far from over.
The Bulldogs rallied for 10 runs in stunning fashion in the top of the seventh.
Southern hit a two-run blast in the frame, the tying run came home after a bunt and an error, the go-ahead run scored after another miscue in the field before Kiley Spencer blasted a grand slam to put a final exclamation point on the big inning.
The Mustangs (10-14) got a run back in the bottom half on Latham’s homer before the Bulldogs recorded the final out.
Carl Junction’s Southern and Arnold had three hits apiece, while Cantrell, Olds, Spencer and Hannah Cole each had two hits. Spencer drove in six runs, while Southern had four RBI.
McDonald County’s Hopkins went 4-for-5, while Cooper, Frencken and Gillming added three hits apiece. Hopkins and Gillming drove in three runs apiece.
Spencer was the winning pitcher and Dakota O’Brien took the loss.
Nevada rolled to an 18-0 win in three innings over eighth-seeded Raytown South in the tourney’s opener.
Class 4 District 7
Thursday’s scores
(1) Nevada 18, (8) Raytown South 0
(5) Carl Junction 19, (4) McDonald County 15
(2) Webb City 11, (7) Raytown 0
(3) Belton 15, (6) Warrensburg 0
