NEVADA, Mo. — The top two seeds will meet in the championship game of the Class 4 District 7 softball tournament.
Top-seeded Nevada pounded fifth-seeded Carl Junction 15-0 in four innings, while second-seeded Webb City defeated third-seeded Belton 6-2 in Saturday’s semifinals at Bushwhacker Field.
Tourney host Nevada (26-7) and Webb City (26-11) will meet at 5:30 on Monday night in the district title game.
WEBB CITY 6, BELTON 2
Webb City pushed across runs in the first three frames to take control early.
The Cardinals scored once in the first, as Abby Sargent doubled and later scored on Alex Maturino’s run-scoring groundout.
Taking advantage of two Webb City errors, the Pirates plated two runs in the second, but Sydney Strickland’s two-run home run to center field gave the Cardinals a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second.
Kylee Sargent’s two-run bomb gave Webb City a three-run advantage in the third and Maturino’s sac fly extended Webb City’s lead to 6-2 after five frames.
Addie Burns was the winning pitcher. A freshman, Burns scattered 10 hits, struck out four, didn’t walk a batter and didn’t allow an earned run in a complete-game effort.
Belton’s Solana Carpenter took the loss after allowing four earned runs on six hits. She struck out seven.
Maturino, Strickland and Kylee Sargent drove in two runs apiece for the Cardinals.
NEVADA 15, CARL JUNCTION 0 (4 INNINGS)
Nevada scored two runs in the first, four in the second, five in the third and four in the fourth to earn a run-rule victory in the first semifinal.
Down 2-0, the Bulldogs threatened in the top of the second, but the hosts turned an inning-ending double play.
The Tigers added four runs in the bottom of the second, as Kaniyah Johnson hit an RBI single before Peyton Eaton smacked a two-run home run to left and Ella Heathman followed with a solo homer to center for a 6-0 cushion.
The Tigers added five runs in the third, with Heathman hitting her second home run of the game for an 11-0 lead.
Nevada scored four runs in the fourth to end the game, as Johnson hit an RBI double, Kara Phillips contributed a two-run single and then scored from third on a wild pitch.
Caylee Holcomb and Phillips recorded three hits apiece for the Tigers, while Eaton, Heathman and Johnson added two hits apiece.
Eaton was the winning pitcher. She allowed five hits and one walk in four scoreless innings.
Carl Junction (11-20) received two hits from Ryleigh Palmer.
Kiley Spencer took the loss after allowing 13 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings. Spencer struck out five and walked one.
Hannah Cantrell, Izzie Southern and Grace Kirk are Carl Junction’s seniors.
