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DISTRICT BASEBALL ROUNDUP: College Heights and McAuley fall in district semifinals

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CLASS 2 DISTRICT 12

(1) MARION C. EARLY 8, (4) COLLEGE HEIGHTS 7

Top-seeded Marion C. Early scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to earn a walk-off win over College Heights in the semifinals of the Class 2 District 12 Tournament on Monday.

The Cougars scored three runs in the top of the first to take the initial lead before building a 7-2 advantage through four and a half innings following a four-run fifth. The Panthers climbed back into the game with three runs in the fifth inning to time the lead to 7-5 before walking off with three runs in the seventh.

College Heights closes the season with a 6-13 record and graduates senior Nicholas Brueggemann.

Jacob Presley started and took a no-decision after allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits, two walks and two strikeouts in five innings. Hadan Madewell allowed three runs, two earned, on three hits, a walk and a strikeout in one relief inning. Triston Bruegman earned the win in relief with two strikeouts in one scoreless inning.

Smoke Ezell started and took a no-decision for CHC after allowing five runs, two earned, on six hits and three strikeouts in six innings. Brueggemann allowed one run on two hits, a walk and strikeout in 1/3 of an inning, while Liam Nelson took the loss after allowing two runs on a hit and a walk in relief.

Jayce Walker had three hits, including a double, and scored two runs for CHC at the plate. Brueggemann had two hits and scored a run, while Caleb Evans had two hits, including a double, and drove in three runs.

 

CLASS 1 DISTRICT 7

(3) EXETER 6, (2) MCAULEY CATHOLIC 1

HURLEY, Mo. — Third-seeded Exeter scored five runs in the third inning to fuel a 6-1 win over second-seeded McAuley Catholic in the Class 1 District 7 semifinals at Hurley High School on Monday.

The Warriors end the season with a 6-9 record and graduate seniors Declan Berkstresser and Kevin Tran.

Corey Hilburn earned the win after allowing one run on one hit, seven walks and eight strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Wyatt Lemons pitched 2 1/3 scoreless relief innings, allowing one hit and striking out four. Gretzky Lee pitched 1/3 of an inning relief.

Kable Reichardt was saddled with the complete-game loss after allowing six unearned runs on five hits, two walks and 12 strikeouts in seven innings.

Zach Lee had two hits and scored two runs to lead Exeter offensively. 

Bradley Wagner and Kendall Jones each had hits for McAuley, with Jones scoring the lone run. Michael Parrigon walked twice and had an RBI.

FRIEND AND FOE: Blankenship and Howard make quite the coaching tandem for CHC softball

Posted on by Lucas Davis

During the winter months, you can find McAuley Catholic girls basketball coach Mike Howard and College Heights Christian girls basketball coach John Blankenship coaching opposite sides of the sideline in what has developed into quite a heated rivalry on the court between the Warriors and Cougars. 

College Heights assistant coach John Blankenship joined the Cougars’ staff this season and the move has paid dividends in multiple ways for CHC. Photo by Israel Perez.

Coaching against each other for the last seven years, Howard and Blankenship, who have become good friends away from the court, added a new dynamic to their relationship this spring. Howard, who is also the head coach of the CHC softball team that partners with McAuley in the spring season, had an opening on his staff heading into the season and figured he would ask his friend to join him on the diamond.

“We have always hinted around at wanting to coach together,” Howard said. “We’ve talked about getting a travel team together for basketball in the summer but it’s never come to fruition. When the spot on my staff came together this year, I reached out to him and asked if he would be interested in helping out with softball because it would be a way that we could coach together. … It was just a perfect fit and I couldn’t be more happy.”

The transition of adding Coach Blankenship to the softball staff has been seamless to say the least. Much like the players on the field, Howard and Blankenship have thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company this season in the dugout and have meshed well coaching together on the diamond.

“It’s been great,” Howard said about the addition of Coach Blankenship to the team. “It’s essentially like having a co-head coach. He is always here helping out and lightening the load for me, asking if there is anything more he can do to help out. … I always give my coaches a chance to talk at the end of the day after I give my talk to the team, and he is always teaching them things. It’s not always about softball necessarily, sometimes it’s about life. It’s all about building these girls up to prepare them for the world they are heading into. He has been around doing this for a long time and he understands that. That’s what makes him special.”

College Heights coach Mike Howard, who is the Athletic Director and girls basketball coach at McAuley Catholic, recently took over the CHC softball program and when he had an opening for an assistant coach, the first person he thought to ask was his friend, College Heights girls basketball coach John Blankenship. Photo by Israel Perez.

“Mike and I have become really good friends over the last few years,” Blankenship said when asked what made him want to join the softball coaching staff. “We’ve competed against each other in basketball and have developed a really strong relationship. It was also another chance for me to extend my time with my own players from basketball to softball. So, it was a combination of them needing to fill a position, my friendship with Mike and working with my kids.”

For Howard, one of the most rewarding experiences of getting to coach with his friend instead of against him is getting to see how Coach Blankenship has built relationships with the McAuley girls he coaches against during basketball season. Howard was in a similar position not too long ago when he took on the position of being the softball coach.

“He gelled with the McAuley girls so well and so quickly,” Howard said. “To be able to coach against them in basketball and then turn around in the next season and have them on your team in the spring is a special opportunity to experience. And Coach Blankenship has done an awesome job at that. For him to be able to bond with our girls so quickly, and for them to welcome him with open arms has been wonderful.”

College Heights catcher Jayli Johnson receives a pitch during a Cougars’ win earlier in the season. Photo by Israel Perez.

And while Coach Blankenship has taken to the McAuley players quickly, he has also given another familiar outlet for the College Heights girls as well. In a sense, it almost balances out the scales between both schools as they compete together for a common goal. 

“(Coach Howard and Coach Blankenship) have always had a good relationship and they really even each other out,” added College Heights second baseman Kloee Williamson, who attends McAuley and is also a guard on the basketball team. “It has been fun. I think it is great (for the College Heights girls) because most of them know him already as their basketball coach. They know how he works and he knows them. I think it’s great.”

“It is nice to have his input in the dugout,” said College Heights catcher Jayli Johnson, who attends CHC and is a point guard under Blankenship during basketball season. “It is really fun just to have that familiar face around. And the joking around is a big part of it because we always like to give him a hard time. … (Coach Howard and Coach Blankenship) work well together. They help each other see what the other doesn’t and that really helps us a lot to make sure we are getting better.”

Coach Blankenship—who actually helped start the College Heights softball program with his wife, Leah, in 2005 and they both coached the team for three years—has also helped deepen the roster since he accepted the assistant coaching role, which was another reason Coach Howard wanted to bring him on. 

College Heights second baseman Kloee Williamson, who attends McAuley Catholic, squares to bunt during a Cougars’ win earlier in the season. Photo by Israel Perez.

“When we were doing this, I was hoping and anticipating that he would be able to retain girls and recruit girls at (College Heights) to play softball,” Howard said. “After we had a great year last year, we graduated four or five seniors and were left with only eight girls. He went in and recruited some girls who wouldn’t necessarily play and got them to try. I think we have four or five first-year girls who are giving it their all and getting better and learning every day. Bringing him on has been extremely beneficial in several ways.”

Of course, for Coach Blankenship, stepping into a dynamic of two schools that share a natural rivalry, particularly during the winter season, only to team up in the spring in hopes of winning a state title together has been a fun experience for him.

“It is a lot of fun,” Blankenship said about his experiences this season. “It has been interesting seeing that dynamic come together between College Heights kids and McAuley kids and the friendships that have developed. They compete hard against each other during basketball season and it seems like they are great friends when softball season starts.”

One thing is clear, Coach Blankenship and the additional first-year players on the team this year have made an impact. The Cougars are currently the eighth-ranked team in the state at the Class 2 level according to the Missouri High School Fastpitch Coaches Association and hold an 18-4 record fresh off another Ozark 7 Conference title. College Heights is the second seed in its Class 2 District 6 tournament matchup against seventh-seeded Southwest at 5 p.m. on Friday at the Neosho Athletic Complex. 

“It is amazing to see two schools that just go at it several times during the year during basketball season, doing whatever it takes to help their school win, be able to turn around and be best friends with each other the very next season,” Howard said. “That is a God thing, you know? It shows a lot of character and leadership in the way they were raised. … It is a special thing to see and I couldn’t be more proud of the way they carry themselves. They represent both schools tremendously.”

BASEBALL: Crooked numbers and dominant pitching lead McAuley past Greenfield

Posted on by Lucas Davis

On the back of a dominant pitching performance from Rocco Bazzano-Joseph, McAuley hung crooked numbers up in its last four at-bats to build an insurmountable lead in an 11-2 win over Greenfield on Friday at Joe Becker Stadium.

With Bazzano-Joseph dealing a shutout on the mound, the Warriors (5-3) and Wildcats (0-7) took a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning when McAuley struck for three runs with two outs. The Warriors added insurance an inning later when four runs touched the plate in the fourth before two more runs scored in the fifth and sixth frames to build a commanding lead en route to the win. 

“I was glad to see our guys come out, play and get past the loss to Exeter last week when we did not play well,” McAuley coach Bryan Jones said. “Defensively, we played well today and had a lot of guys get some chances. I liked seeing the guys get to hit the ball. We had a few guys come off the bench and succeed, which I love to see. I was proud of them.”

ON THE MOUND

Bazzano-Joseph earned the win after striking out 11 batters in five no-hit innings on 67 pitches. He walked one. Michael Parrigon allowed two runs on two hits, a walk and five strikeouts in two relief innings.

“We haven’t gotten a lot of work out of Rocco this season because of the weather,” Jones said. “The one thing I saw that Rocco did well was he started with strikes, and he had command of his fastball and his breaking ball. He did a great job of setting the tone and the pace.”

Austin Pickett took the loss after allowing eight runs, three earned, on five hits, four walks and seven strikeouts in four innings.

GAME ACTION

McAuley broke a scoreless tie with three two-out runs crossing the plate in the last of the third inning. Joe Staton led off the inning with an infield hit on a ground ball up the middle that ricocheted off the pitcher. He was driven in two batters later on a two-out RBI single up the middle from Jack Jones to make the score 1-0. 

“We didn’t do a great job early of recognizing the pitch to hit,” Jones said. “We just didn’t adjust up front. The two-out at-bat by Jack kind of opened the floodgates and gave us the momentum and we carried it into the next inning.”

Kable Reichardt followed with a walk and both runners came around to score on a throwing error by Greenfield with the throw from the catcher ending up in left field on a double steal.

The Warriors added insurance an inning later when Bradley Wagner doubled to left field to lead off the inning before scoring two batters later on a single to center by Tripp Miller to push the lead to 4-0. After another run scored on a Greenfield throwing error after a chopper back to the pitcher, Jones knocked in two more runs with a two-out double to center field to push the lead to 7-0.

“We gave him a rest in the field but wanted him to get some swings in,” Jones said of his designated hitter on Friday. “He did a good job today. He’s been working hard in the cage looking for his pitch to drive. … He is there for that reason. We need him to come up big and he did.”

The Warriors loaded the bases with one out in the fifth inning before Staton singled to center to bring home a run for an eight-run lead. Bazzano-Joseph picked up an RBI on a fielder’s choice later in the frame for a 9-0 lead.

After Greenfield touched home twice in the top of the sixth on a two-run triple from Delton Greene, Reichardt drove home a run in the sixth on a groundout. Another run came in on a wild pitch later in the inning.

IN THE BOX

Jones had two hits, three RBI and scored a run to lead McAuley at the plate. Staton had two hits, scored a run and drove in one. Miller had a hit, scored a run and drove in one. Kevin Tran and Wagner each had a hit and scored. 

ROUNDUP: McDonald County baseball; College Height softball earn wins; other area teams in action

Posted on by Lucas Davis

MCDONALD COUNTY BASEBALL 8, CASSVILLE 0

ANDERSON, Mo. — Class 5 sixth-ranked McDonald County used a four-run second inning on the back of a no-hitter from Cross Dowd on the way to a shutout win over Cassville on Thursday.

Dowd earned the no-hit shutout win for McDonald County (16-4) on 95 pitches. He struck out 13 and walked two.

Devin Bailey took the loss after allowing four runs, two earned, on two hits, four walks and two strikeouts in two innings.

Destyn Dowd had two hits and scored a run, while Cross Dowd had a hit and scored twice. Levi Helm and Weston Gordon each had a hit and scored.

 

REPUBLIC BASEBALL 5, CARTHAGE 3

REPUBLIC, Mo. — Republic held a 5-1 lead after five innings and held off a late rally from Carthage on Thursday.

Gavyn Beckner earned the win after allowing two runs on eight hits, two walks and seven strikeouts in six innings. Ace McWatters earned the save after allowing two runs on five hits in one relief inning.

Kaden Arr took the loss after allowing five runs, three earned, on six hits, six walks and six strikeouts in five innings of work.

Carthage started the rally with two outs in the sixth after Sylas Browning, who singled to left to start the inning, scored on a double steal, with Nate Norbury taking second after reaching with a single. 

Clay Kinder and Ty Perry had back to back RBI singles in the top of the seventh with two away but the final out was made with the tying run on second.

Braxdon Tate and Logan Carmickle each had three hits, with Carmickle driving in one and scoring once to lead Carthage at the plate. Caden Kabance and Browning had a hit and scored a run. 

 

OZARK 12, NEOSHO 0 (5 INNINGS)

OZARK, Mo. — Ozark scored 11 runs in the first three innings on the way to a five-inning Central Ozark Conference win over Neosho on Thursday.

The Tigers scored three times in the first inning, five times in the second and three more runs in the third to build a commanding lead before adding a single tally in the fourth frame to score a run in every at-bat.

Devyn Wright earned the complete-game win after throwing five scoreless innings on three hits and two strikeouts.

Austin Rodriguez took the loss after allowing eight runs, three earned, on four hits, three walks and a strikeout in 1 2/3 innings.

Cooper Buvid doubled and had two RBI and scored twice, while Brady Dodd had a hit, scored a run and drove in three.

River Brill, Carter Fenske and Carter Baslee registered hits for Neosho

 

LIBERAL BASEBALL 6, COLLEGE HEIGHTS 5

LIBERAL, Mo. — Liberal broke a back-and-forth 5-5 tie with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning on the way to a win over College Heights on Thursday.

The Cougars and Bulldogs exchanged two runs in the second inning before CHC added a single tally in the top of the third to take the lead. Liberal regained the lead with a three-run fifth before College Heights scored twice in the top of the sixth to tie things up at 5-5. The Bulldogs pushed across the go-ahead run in the last of the sixth to earn the win.

Kole Wiles earned the win after allowing five runs, four earned, on five hits, four walks and two strikeouts in six innings. Matthew Boehne earned the save after pitching a scoreless seventh inning on one hit.

Ben Thomas took the loss after allowing six runs, four earned, on seven hits, four walks and a strikeout.

Payton Morrow had two hits, including a double, and two RBI. Chase Ray had one hit and one RBI, while Boehne had a hit, scored a run and drove in one.

Josh Anderson had two hits, including a double, and three RBI for CHC. Austin Miller and Kelton Welch each had a hit and scored a run, with Welch adding an RBI.

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS SOFTBALL 6, LIBERAL 3

LIBERAL, Mo. — Playing as the home team after inclement weather forced the game to Liberal, College Heights (with McAuley) built a four-run lead through the first three innings on the way to a win over the Bulldogs on Thursday.

The Cougars (13-2) took the initial lead in the bottom of the first when Kloee Williamson singled home Jayli Johnson before she touched the plate later in the frame on an RBI groundout by Maddy Colin for a 2-0 lead. Addie Lawrence hit an inside-the-park home run that scored Williamson, who singled with one out in the inning, in the third inning to push the lead to 4-0.

Liberal (with Bronaugh) had a three-run fourth inning highlighted by an RBI double from Jordan Goodell.

Lawrence tripled to right field in the bottom of the fourth inning to plate two runs to wrap the scoring in the game.

Colin earned the win after allowing three unearned runs on two hits and 13 strikeouts in seven complete innings.

Kyla Porter took the loss after allowing six runs, three earned, on eight hits, a walk and four strikeouts in six innings.

Lawrence homered and tripled to go along with four RBI and a run scored to lead CHC at the plate. Williamson had three hits, scored three runs and added an RBI and a walk. Colin, Aaliyah Perez and Lauren Ukena each had hits, while Johnson scored twice.

SOFTBALL: Late runs send College Heights past Lockwood; Colin strikes out 19

Posted on by Lucas Davis

College Heights (with McAuley) broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the fifth inning before plating two more runs in the sixth en route to the 5-3 win over Lockwood on Monday at the Joplin Athletic Complex.

The Cougars (12-2) took the momentum with two runs in the bottom of the first inning before Lockwood (5-10) used the long ball in the fourth inning to knot things up at 2s. College Heights manufactured the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth inning before bringing home insurance in the sixth thanks to a timely home run.

“Every game isn’t going to be a blowout,” College Heights coach Mike Howard said about the offensive output in the win. “We are going to have close games, and I am proud of the way they responded in the situation of a close game. (CHC assistant coach John Blankenship) likened it to basketball, which is funny because both of us are basketball coaches. Sometimes you are going to have off-shooting nights, but you win games with defense and making plays in pressure situations.”

College Heights’ Maddy Colin winds up to deliver a pitch in the Cougars’ win over Lockwood. Colin struck out 19 Tigers in the complete-game win. Photo by Israel Perez.

IN THE CIRCLE

Maddy Colin started and earned the complete-game win for College Heights after allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits, a walk and 19 strikeouts in seven innings. Colin struck out the side in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings, with the Tigers going down in order via the punchout in the third, fifth and sixth frames.

“We have to shore up our defense a little bit, but our pitching was really good,” Howard said. “Other than one pitch she didn’t get up enough, Maddy did a phenomenal job. Our defense made a few mistakes tonight, but overall they played pretty well.”

Adrien Neill took the loss after allowing five runs, three earned, on seven hits, a walk and seven strikeouts in six innings of work.

GAME ACTION

College Heights wasted little time taking the lead, plating two runs in the first inning for the initial momentum swing. The Cougars got on the scoreboard on a sacrifice fly by Addie Lawrence that scored Jayli Johnson, who reached on an error to lead off the frame, from third base. Colin helped her own cause in the next at-bat, ripping a ball to the left-center field gap for an RBI double to push the lead to 2-0.

“Looking back at it now, those runs were really important,” Howard said of the first-inning run support. “The top of our lineup is usually very consistent. If we can get them on base, they’re full of speed and that allows us to steal some bases and manufacture some runs, sometimes by playing some small ball. To get those two runs early and give Maddy some confidence early was huge.”

Lockwood tied things up in the fourth inning when Breckyn Brummett smacked a two-run home run to center field with one out to tie the game at 2-2.

Johnson reached on a dropped third strike to start the bottom of the fifth for CHC before stealing second to get into scoring position and third on a wild pitch. Kloee Williamson followed with a groundout to second base to score Johnson for an RBI to give CHC a 3-2 lead.

College Heights’ Jayli Johnson (21) steals second base to get into scoring position before later coming around to score in the Cougars’ win over Lockwood on Monday. Photo by Israel Perez.

“Those are hustle plays,” Howard said of his team’s ability to push a run across without recording a hit. “Knowing to run on a dropped third strike and hustling all the way through it. Getting one of our fastest girls on base was huge because she can steal bases and read balls in the first so well. … She was able to take advantage of the mistake there. Then, it was just a routine ball in play to the pull side of the field to get the run home. It was good, timely fundamental softball.”

The Cougars added insurance in the sixth inning when Kaitlyn Bates, who wore No. 9 against Lockwood for the first time this season after a mishap with her regular No. 16 jersey, launched her first-career home run to left field—with Aaliyah Perez, who singled to lead off the frame—on second for a two-run shot to push the lead to 5-3.

“She really hit the ball hard and it kept on carrying,” Howard said. “I didn’t know if it had enough to get out, but it just kept on carrying. I joked with her after she hit it that that is her new jersey now. She is now No. 9 and we are going to go with it for the rest of the year because I am superstitious.”

IN THE BOX

Bates had two hits, including a homer, two RBI and a run scored to lead CHC at the plate, while Perez had two hits, and scored a run. Williamson had one hit, one RBI and a run scored. Johnson scored twice to go along with one hit, while Colin had a hit and drove in one.

Brummett had a double and a homer, two RBI and scored twice to lead Lockwood. 

ON DECK

College Heights hosts Liberal (with Bronaugh) on Thursday before taking part in the Jasper Invitational softball tournament over the weekend.

SOFTBALL: Huge third inning sends College Heights past Verona

Posted on by Lucas Davis

VERONA, Mo. — College Heights softball (with McAuley) defined exactly what a big inning at the plate meant after scoring 14 runs in the third inning on the way to a 15-0 win in three innings over Verona in Ozark 7 Conference action on Thursday.

The Cougars (11-2, 3-0 Ozark 7) amassed 13 hits in the third inning alone, with eight of them resulting in runs being scored. The first six batters in the lineup all had two hits apiece and combined for 11 RBI and 11 runs scored.

Maddy Colin earned a three-inning no-hit win in the circle, striking out nine along the way.

Yoselin Martinez took the loss after allowing 15 runs on 14 hits, five walks and two strikeouts in three innings.

College Heights took the lead in the second inning on an RBI single to center field by Libby Fanning before the floodgates opened in the third frame. 

The first five batters of the third inning reached base on hits, with CHC taking advantage of three Verona errors on the way to a 4-0 lead. The next three batters walked for the Cougars, which forced in another run, before Jayli Johnson singled home two runs to push the lead to 6-0. Two more runs came home on a double from Kloee Williamson, with Addie Lawrence following with an RBI double to left to plate Williamson. Colin highlighted the inning with an inside-the-park home run for two RBI and a 13-0 lead. Kaitlyn Bates added her second hit of the inning later in the frame on a single to center to plate a run and wrap the scoring.

College Heights hosts Lockwood on Monday.

BASEBALL: McAuley rallies past Southwest

Posted on by Lucas Davis

McAuley scored twice in the sixth inning on the way to a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Southwest on Wednesday.

Southwest plated two runs in the bottom of the first inning and took a 2-1 advantage into the sixth inning before McAuley rallied to earn the win.

Kable Reichardt earned the win after allowing two runs on four hits, three walks and 11 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Rocco Bazzano-Joseph earned the save, striking out the only batter he faced in the seventh inning.

Brendyn Paulsen took the loss after allowing three runs on five hits, three walks and 11 strikeouts in seven innings.

Reichardt led McAuley at the plate with two hits, including a triple, and a run scored, while Bradley Wagner doubled and added an RBI. Kendall Jones  and Tripp Miller each had a hit, while Jones also scored a run.

Zak Corwin had two hits, including a triple, scored a run and drove in one to lead Southwest.

SOFTBALL: College Heights scores early and often in win over Jasper

Posted on by Lucas Davis

NEOSHO, Mo. — College Heights (with McAuley) scored 11 runs in the first three innings and eventually touched home in every frame on the way to a 13-2 win in five innings over Jasper on Monday at the Neosho Athletic Complex.

College Heights (10-2) didn’t waste time taking control with three runs crossing in the first inning. The Cougars added a five-run second and three more in the third before adding single tallies in the fourth and fifth to end the game via run rule.

Maddy Colin earned the complete-game win in the circle after allowing two unearned runs on seven hits and nine strikeouts in five innings.

Grace Osborne took the loss after allowing 13 runs, 10 earned, on eight hits, eight walks and seven strikeouts in five innings.

Kloee Williamson highlighted the first-inning scoring with an RBI triple to left field that scored Jayli Johnson, who led off with a walk. Two more runs scored on Jasper errors to wrap the scoring.

The first three Cougars reached to start the second inning before Lauren Ukena, who was playing in her first game of the season after returning from a shoulder injury suffered during basketball season, came home to score on a wild pitch. Addie Lawrence followed with a three-run inside-the-park home run to push the lead to 7-0.

Lawrence came up with an RBI double to center field an inning later, with Johnson coming around to score on the throw later in the play to make the score 10-0. Kaitlyn Bates picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly to cap the inning.

Johnson singled with two outs in the fourth and touched home on an RBI single from Williamson and Bates added another sac fly in the fifth.

Williamson had three hits, including a triple, three runs and two RBI to lead CHC. Lawrence doubled on the way to two hits, a team-high six RBI and three runs scored. Johnson was 1-for-1 with two walks and a team-high four runs scored. Colin doubled and scored twice.

College Heights hosts Verona on Thursday.

ROUNDUP: McDonald County baseball earns win; Carl Junction golf knocks off Webb City; Joplin soccer beats Rogersville

Posted on by Lucas Davis

MCDONALD COUNTY BASEBALL 10, PROVIDENCE 0

ANDERSON, Mo. — No. 8 McDonald County scored in every inning but the second on the way to a run-rule win in six innings over Providence Academy on Friday.

The Mustangs (9-3) built a 4-0 lead after four innings before a four spot crossed home in the fifth to push the lead to 8-0. McDonald County scored twice more in the sixth to end the game via run rule.

Cross Dowd earned the complete-game shutout win after blanking Providence in six innings. He surrendered just one hit, walked four and struck out eight.

Sam McAlister took the loss after allowing eight runs, four earned, on nine hits, three walks and six strikeouts in five innings.

The Mustangs took the initial lead on an RBI single from Isaac Behm in the first inning. Levi Helm singled in the third and came around to score on an error before Behm touched home on an RBI single from Dowd to push the lead to 3-0. McDonald County scored on a Providence error in the fourth inning. Jack Parnell highlighted the four-run fifth inning with an RBI single for McDonald County. Helm led off the sixth inning with a single before Behm homered to left-center to wrap the scoring.

Behm had three hits, including a homer, and three RBI. Dowd had three hits, including a double, while Helm finished with a pair of base hits.

 

PIERCE CITY BASEBALL 12, COLLEGE HEIGHTS 6

Pierce City scored five runs in the fifth inning to pull away from College Heights on Friday.

College Heights (2-5) trailed 7-6 heading into the seventh inning when Pierce City’s Mekhi Kleiboeker drew a walk with the bases loaded to force in a run. Noah Crews followed with an inside-the-park grand slam to put the game out of reach.

Crews earned the win in relief after allowing one run on four walks and eight strikeouts in three innings.

Nicholas Brueggeman took the loss after allowing six runs, two earned, on seven hits, a walk and two strikeouts in five innings. Ben Thomas allowed six runs, one earned, on three hits, five walks and a strikeout in two relief innings.

Clayton Raley had four hits, including a double, two RBI and two runs scored to lead Pierce City. Robert Leavitt had three hits, two RBI and scored a run. Crews homered, had two hits, four RBI and scored twice.

Kelton Welch had a hit, three walks, drove in one and scored a run to lead College Heights. Thomas doubled and scored a run. Smoke Ezell had a hit, walked and drove in two.

 

DIAMOND SOFTBALL 6, COLLEGE HEIGHTS 3

DIAMOND, Mo. — Diamond broke a 2-2 tie with four runs crossing home in the third inning on the way to a win over College Heights (with McAuley) on Friday.

The Cougars (6-2) took the initial lead with an RBI groundout by Aaliyah Perez in the top of the first inning. Diamond answered back with two unearned runs touching home in the bottom of the first on a CHC error before College Heights tied it up with a single tally in the top of the third inning.

The Wildcats (11-2) took the momentum for good in the bottom half of the third when Madi Bentley tripled to left to score two runs. Lexy Bridges followed with an RBI in the next at-bat, and Diamond added a run on a CHC error later in the inning to cap the scoring.

Bentley earned the complete-game win after allowing three runs on seven hits, three walks and 13 strikeouts in seven innings.

Maddy Colin took the loss after allowing seven runs, four earned, on seven hits, three walks and eight strikeouts in six innings.

Caitlyn Suhrie and Lauren Turner each had two hits and scored a run to lead Diamond at the plate. Bentley had a hit, two RBI and two runs scored.

Jayli Johnson had three hits and scored three times to lead College Heights.

 

CARL JUNCTION GOLF DEFEATS WEBB CITY

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Carl Junction boys golf earned a 9-6 team win over Webb City in the Papa John’s Match Play Championships on Friday at Briarbrook Golf Course.

In alternate shot foursome play, Webb City’s Evan Garrison and Daniel Roy defeated Riley Roper and Carson Beckfield 4 and 2, while Webb City’s Brett Swearengen and Jack Good finished all squared with Carl Junction’s Quinn Vogel and Jayden Wingo.

In four ball best ball, Carl Junction’s Jacob Teeter and Tommy Walker earned a 3 and 2 win over Webb City’s Cooper Forth and Caden Ray. Jack Spencer and Zach Merwin led the Bulldogs past Josh Howard and Levi Lassiter 4 and 3, while Zach Wrensch and Noah Williams earned a 2 up win over Keegon Dill and Braxten Cahoon.

In individual play, Garrison defeated Roper 3 and 1, while Beckfield defeated Roy 3 and 2. Swearengen won 4 and 3 against Wingo, while Good and Merwin finished all squared. Vogel defeated Ray 2 up and Teeter earned a 1-up win over Forth. Walker won 2 and 1 against Lassiter. Cahoon and Howard earned 2 and 1 wins against Williams and Wrensch. Spencer defeated Dill 2 up.

 

GORDON LEADS JOPLIN SOCCER PAST ROGERSVLLE

BRANSON, Mo. — Grace Gordon scored both of her team’s goals to lead the Joplin High School girls soccer team to a 2-0 win over Rogersville on Friday at the Branson Tournament. 

A senior, Gordon scored in the fourth minute and again in the 65th minute. The goals were assisted by Morgan Ferro and Paisley Parker. 

Joplin plays Green Forest in the semifinals at 11 a.m. tomorrow. 

PREP ROUNDUP: Joplin soccer blanks Pittsburg; CHC softball beats Lamar; CHC baseball defeats McAuley

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JOPLIN GIRLS SOCCER 4, PITTSBURG 0

Ella Hafer scored three goals in the first half to lead Joplin girls soccer to a win over Pittsburg on Tuesday.

The Eagles scored four first-half goals total on the way to the victory over the Dragons, hiking their record to 2-0 on the season. Joplin had 28 shots on goal to Pittsburg’s three. Sophia Schwartz had one save in goal for the Eagles, while Serafina Auberry had a pair of saves in the win.

Hafer broke the scoring with a goal at the 10-minute mark on the assist from Paisley Parker for a 1-0 advantage. 

Joplin went up 2-0 in the 12th minute when Emily Delman scored an unassisted goal of a deflection from a corner kick.

Hafer found the back of the net again in the 16th minute off another assist by Parker before Hafer wrapped the scoring with an unassisted goal in the 21st minute of play.

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS SOFTBALL 8, LAMAR 1

College Heights scored three runs in the first inning to take the lead and added to it on the way to the win over Lamar on Tuesday.

The Tigers crossed home once in the top of the first inning before the Cougars answered with three of their own. College Heights scored twice in the third and added three runs in the sixth inning to pave the way to victory.

Maddy Colin earned the complete-game win after allowing one unearned run on three hits and eight strikeouts in seven innings.

Lilly Weber took the loss after allowing eight runs, six earned, on 14 hits, four walks and six strikeouts in six innings.

Kloee Williamson singled home a run in the first to tie the game at 1-1 before an RBI double from Addie Lawrence gave CHC a 2-1 advantage. Aaliyah Perez wrapped the scoring with an RBI single to right field.

Jayli Johnson doubled home two runs in the bottom of the third inning to push the lead to 5-1.

Lawrence doubled home a run to center field to start the sixth-inning scoring, while Perez singled home a run two batters later. Colin came in to score on a wild pitch later in the inning.

Lawrence doubled twice, scored twice and drove in two. Johnson had three hits, including a double, drove in two and scored once. Williamson had two hits, including a double, scored twice and drove in one. Perez had two hits and two RBI, while Colin doubled on the way to two hits and a run scored.

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS BASEBALL 15, MCAULEY 0 (3 INNINGS)

College Heights scored 15 runs in the first three innings on the way to a win over McAuley on Tuesday.

The Cougars scored eight times in the first inning before plating two runs in the second and five more in the fifth frame.

Ben Thomas earned the win after blanking McAuley over three innings on two hits, a walk and three strikeouts.

Kable Reichardt took the loss after allowing 15 runs, 10 earned, on six hits, seven walks and three strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings.

Smoke Ezell had two hits and drove in a run for CHC. Jayce Walker had a hit, three RBI and scored three times. Thomas and Kelton Welch each had a hit and drove in one. Welch scored twice and Thomas once. 

Michael Parrigon and Reichardt had hits for McAuley in the loss.

SOFTBALL: College Heights earns third straight win with victory over Exeter

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EXETER, Mo. — College Heights (with McAuley) built an early lead and added on late to seal an 8-5 win over Exeter on Tuesday.

The Cougars (3-1) built a 4-0 lead after two innings before a four-run fourth by Exeter trimmed the advantage to 5-4. College Heights added an insurance run in the fifth and added two more in the sixth on the way to its third straight win.

Maddy Colin earned the win after allowing five runs, three earned, on five hits and 17 strikeouts in seven complete innings.

Aubry Antle took the loss after allowing eight runs, seven earned, on 13 hits, two walks and nine strikeouts in seven innings.

Kloee Williamson highlighted the three-run second inning with a two-run triple and added an inside-the-park home run in the fourth. Addie Lawrence had an RBI triple in the top of the sixth and Colin followed it with an RBI single.

Colin, who had one RBI, and Williamson led College Heights at the plate with four hits each. Williamson tripled and scored a game-high four runs to go along with a game-high three RBI. Jayli Johnson had a hit, drove in one and scored a run. Lawrence tripled, scored a run and drove in one, and Kaitlyn Bates doubled and had a run scored. 

BASEBALL ROUNDUP: McDonald County and McAuley earn road wins

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MCDONALD COUNTY 5, SHILOH CHRISTIAN 2
SPRINGDALE, Ark. — McDonald County built a three-run lead through the first three innings on the way to a win at Shiloh Christian on Monday.

The Mustangs (6-1) scored a run in the first inning to take the lead before scoring twice in the third inning to go up 3-0. McDonald County added a tally in the fifth before Shiloh Christian got on the scoreboard with two runs in the bottom of the inning to trim the lead to 4-2. The Mustangs wrapped the scoring with an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning.

Isac Behm earned the win after allowing two runs on five hits, a walk and four strikeouts in six innings of work. Cross Dowd earned the save after striking out the side in a perfect seventh inning.

Hudson Ball took the loss after allowing three runs, two earned, on two hits, five walks and two strikeouts in two innings.

After McDonald County scored a run in the first inning on a passed ball, the Mustangs pushed across two in the third with an RBI single from Behm and a sacrifice fly from Destyn Dowd. Dowd picked up his second RBI in the fifth after scoring Behm from second with a single, and Fisher Sanny wrapped the Mustangs’ scoring with an RBI single in the seventh. 

Behm had two hits, including a double, an RBI and scored a run, while Destyn Dowd had a hit and two RBI. Weston Gordon had a hit and scored twice, while Cross Dowd and Levi Helm each had a hit and scored a run. Sanny had two hits and drove in one.

 

MCAULEY 7, VERONA 1

VERONA, Mo. — McAuley Catholic scored seven runs on 12 hits to beat Verona on Monday.

Kable Reichardt struck out 10 in a complete-game win. Joe Staton led the offense with three hits.

 

SOFTBALL: College Heights earns first two wins of the season on the road

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SARCOXIE, Mo. — College Heights earned its first two wins of the season on the road after beating East Newton and Sarcoxie on Saturday. 

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS 13, EAST NEWTON 0 (5 INNINGS)

Maddy Colin tossed a no-hitter as College Heights (with McAuley) scored early and often to earn its first win of the season over East Newton on Saturday.

Colin was dominant for five no-hit innings in her start to earn the win. She struck out 11 and didn’t allow a walk in a near perfect game, as the Cougars committed one error. 

Faith Jones took the loss after allowing five runs on two hits and three walks in one inning. Gracie Ford allowed eight runs on six hits, six walks and two strikeouts in four relief innings.

College Heights scored three runs in the first inning, highlighted by an RBI double from Addie Lawrence. 

The Cougars poured it on in the second with five crossing the plate. Jayli Johnson had a two-run single and Colin added a three-run triple later in the inning to make the score 8-0.

Lawrence had a three-run double in the third inning, which was followed by an RBI single to Colin to push the lead to 12-0.

Lawrence went 3-for-5 with two doubles, five RBI and two runs scored. Johnson had two hits and two walks and scored a team-high four runs. Colin tripled on the way to two hits and a team-high six RBI. Kloee Williamson had a hit, two walks, scored three runs and drove in one.

 

COLLEGE HEIGHTS 6, SARCOXIE 0

Colin followed up her no-hitter with a two-hit shutout performance as College Heights closed its day with a win over Sarcoxie.

After five scoreless innings, College Heights ended the scoring drought with three runs in the sixth inning before adding three insurance runs in the seventh inning to seal the win.

Colin worked seven scoreless innings, scattering two hits, walking two and striking out 14 to earn the win.

Kylee Walters took the loss after allowing six runs, five earned, on five hits, four walks and 19 strikeouts in seven complete innings.

Williamson broke the scoreless tie in the sixth inning with an RBI double to center field to plate Johnson, who doubled in the previous at-bat. Lawrence followed with a single up the middle to score Williamson and make the score 2-0. Lawrence touched home on a passed ball later in the inning to push the lead to three.

Williamson led CHC at the plate with two hits, three RBI and two runs scored, while Johnson doubled, walked twice and scored twice. Lawrence had one hit, RBI and run scored. Kaitlyn Bates also recorded a hit for the Cougars.

CHC ROUNDUP: College Heights softball and baseball drop games

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COLUMBUS 11, COLLEGE HEIGHTS 1

Columbus scored four runs in the first and continued to put up tallies throughout on the way to the win over College Heights (with McAuley) in six innings.

The Titans added runs in each inning after the first, scoring a single tally in the second, fourth and six innings and two runs in each the third and fifth frames.

Aubree Saporito earned the complete-game win after giving up one run on three hits and 11 strikeouts in six innings.

Maddy Colin took the loss after allowing 11 runs, three earned, on nine hits, a walk and six strikeouts in six innings of work.

Kaitlynn Lopp had three hits, an RBI and two runs scored for Columbus. Torey Tedlock doubled twice and had three RBI as well as a run scored.

Jayli Johnson doubled and scored a run for CHC, while Colin had a hit and an RBI.

 

RIVERTON 5, COLLEGE HEIGHTS 0

Riverton scored three times in the third inning to build a four-run lead on the way to the win over College Heights on Friday.

Nick Bruggemann took the loss after allowing four runs, three earned, on four hits, a walk and four strikeouts in four innings for College Heights. Ben Thomas allowed one unearned run on two hits and five strikeouts in three relief innings.

 

SOFTBALL PREVIEW: College Heights returns bevy of talent and is ready for an encore

Posted on by Lucas Davis

After coming off a historic season last year, College Heights softball (with McAuley Catholic) returns a bevy of starters with sights set even higher in 2022.

“We are very excited,” CHC coach Mike Howard said. “Ever since we lost that last game, it left a bitter taste in our mouth. Diamond had a great game against us. … It’s been (a year) since then and we are ready to get back at it and try to repeat the success from last year, even more so.”

The Cougars are coming off a program-best 18-4 record and a district championship last spring. However, CHC did graduate three seniors (catcher Sarah Painter, 1B Layne Jackson and 2B Avery Good) who were integral in the success last season and will be hard to replace. 

“We are going to miss all three of those losses,” Howard said. “All three of those girls were important to our team. … All of them were all-conference and all-district players and Sarah was an all-regional player.”

The good news is College Heights welcomes back five starters, possibly six, including four all-conference players from a year ago, which has the Cougars having aspirations for a memorable run.

Highlighting the list of returners is sophomore pitcher Maddy Colin, who was named the Ozark 7 Conference Player of the Year and was a first-team all-district and all-region selection. She carried a 1.62 ERA and had 224 strikeouts in 121 innings and also hit .375 at the plate to go along with 21 RBI.

Also returning for College Heights: junior Jayli Johnson (.500 BA, 37 runs, 20 RBI), who will transition to catcher this year after earning first-team all-conference, district, region and state honors at shortstop while leading the team in home runs (four), triples (three) and doubles (eight); sophomore 2B/OF Kloee Williamson (.579 BA, 31 runs, 29 RBI), also a first-team all-conference, district, region and state recipient; junior OF Addie Lawrence (.387 BA, 23 runs, 18 RBI), who garnered all-conference and all-district recognition; junior SS/OF Aaliyah Perez (.324 BA, 15 runs), also all-conference and district last year. Lauren Ukena, who was projected to start on the left side of the infield, is also back but may miss significant time with a shoulder injury suffered during basketball season. Sophomore OF Kaitlyn Bates is also back and is expected to step into a much larger role this season.

Newcomers expected to make an impact at the varsity level this year include freshman Libby Fanning, who figures to take over at first base, senior OF Avery Eminger, junior IF/OF Marley Woodford, sophomore Avery Shuemaker and freshmen Toryn Fink (IF/OF) and Callie Spencer.

“We have some girls coming in who are working hard,” Howard added about replacing the positions lost to graduation. “But, I think we will be able to fill those spots nicely.”

Perhaps the biggest strength for College Heights is their experience, and that’s only going to continue to grow. All of the returning players from a year ago are juniors or sophomores, which means the Cougars will run it back with nearly the same squad a year from now. Knowing they have two full years together has motivated CHC to waste any time on its goal of playing for a deep postseason run, which has been evident to Coach Howard by the leadership he has seen from his second-year players in practice.

“Last year was the first year for all of the underclassmen playing high school ball because of the COVID year (two years ago),” Howard said of his juniors and sophomores this season. “For them to come out in their first years and perform like they did, it just says a lot about their character and hard work as athletes. 

“The fact that our returners are so athletic and knowledgeable, they are like coaches on the field. They will put the new girls in the right positions to be successful. I have already seen several times in practice where I have seen a veteran player coaching a younger player. … It is great to be able to have a good core of veteran players to help teach the process.”

Of course, aside from depth and experience with success up and down the lineup, CHC also brings back Colin into the circle after a dominating freshman season that saw her garner numerous awards and accolades, turning heads in the process. 

“I can’t say enough about that kid,” Howard said of his standout pitcher. “She is one of the hardest workers I have ever seen and she is very humble, putting her teammates before herself. She keeps us in every game because her ability to locate pitches so well is unparalleled. She has gotten stronger and I think her velocity is up a little bit. The fact that I know I have her for three more years gives me goosebumps.”

College Heights opens the season with a home matchup against Galena (Kansas) at 5 p.m. on Monday at the Joplin Athletic Complex.

GIRLS DISTRICT HOOPS: McAuley falls to Golden City in the district championship

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In a true seesaw battle, top-seeded Golden City outlasted fourth-seeded McAuley Catholic 38-36 to win the Class 1 District 5 championship on Saturday at Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School. 

McAuley’s Kennedy DeRuy drives the baseline in the Warriors’ loss to Golden City on the district title game. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

“They gave it everything they had inside and played with so much heart,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “I told them to leave everything on the floor because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed and they did everything I asked them to do. They played tremendously on defensive. … Our girls really executed the game plan well. It was just a back-and-forth game between two teams that know each other well. … I really felt like whoever had the ball last was going to win that game. Unfortunately, it’s just once bounce, one roll, one foul from being a different story.”

THAT’S A WRAP

McAuley closes the season with a 18-11 record, making it to its fourth straight district title game. The Warriors graduate seniors Kennedy DeRuy, Avery Eminger and Kayleigh Teeter. Teeter (1,383 points) and DeRuy (1,379 points) are currently third and fourth on the Warriors’ all-time girls scoring list, respectively.

“I have been excited for this senior class since they came to team camp in seventh grade,” Howard said. “Once they got here, I couldn’t have asked for better leaders or role models on and off the court. … I love them to death and they’ve meant the world to me.”

McAuley’s Kloee Williamson eyes room to drive in the Warriors’ loss to Golden City on the district title game. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

McAuley started the fourth quarter with a one-point advantage before Kloee Williamson pulled down an offensive rebound for a putback score, earned a steal and drew a foul on the next defensive possession and made the two subsequent free throws to give the Warriors a 39-34 lead with 30 seconds expired.

Golden City (22-5) answered with six straight points, four from Brooke Beerly, to take a 30-28 lead with 5:40 left.

Avery Gardner knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner with 4:34 on the clock to put McAuley in front 32-30 and DeRuy pushed the lead to three with free throws coming with 2:44 left in regulation. 

Beerly added an inside score with 90 seconds left to trim the lead to one before she pulled down an offensive rebound for a putback score with 16 seconds left to give Golden City a 37-36 advantage.

A game-tying shot was missed with less than 10 seconds to play at the other end, and Ahree Lutes added a free throw with 0.9 seconds left to push the lead to two.

McAuley’s Avery Eminger battles in the paint during the Warriors’ loss to Golden City in the district title game. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

“This team has been through more adversity than any team I have ever coached,” Howard said. “There hasn’t been one game where we have had every player healthy. We have had multiple games with only six players with girls injured. One of our best players, our point guard, Kayleigh Teeter went out halfway through the year with a knee injury. That really made other girls have to step up, take charge and fill in voids they weren’t necessarily comfortable with. It took a while but we grew as a team and were trending in the right direction towards the end of the season. For them not to give up and keep battling and fighting through all of that adversity, I just love every single one of these girls.”

SCORING LEADERS

Kyndall Scott led Golden City with 10 points, while Beerly and Maggie Reed each finished with nine. Lutes had seven.

DeRuy and Lily Black each had 11 points to lead McAuley in scoring. Gardner had five, while Williamson and Eminger each finished with four.

UP NEXT

Golden City takes on District 6 champion Drexel in the Class 1 sectional tournament with a 6 p.m. matchup on March 1 at Webb City High School. 

DISTRICT BOYS HOOPS: Golden City pulls away from McAuley in the semifinals

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Fourth-seeded McAuley Catholic played with top-seeded Golden City for every bit of the first half and even held a lead in the third quarter before the Eagles used a pair of scoring runs down the stretch as the catalyst in a 62-51 win over the Warriors in the Class 1 District 5 semifinals on Friday.

McAuley trailed by five at the half before knocking down the first two shots of the third quarter to take the lead. Golden City (18-8) used a 12-5 run in the third quarter and an 11-0 run in the fourth period to build an insurmountable lead down the stretch to earn the win.

“We didn’t give up,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said. “I don’t know what we were from the field in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t good. You have to take your hats off to Golden City. They’re not the No. 1 seed in this district just because. They are a good ball club. They exploited some of our weaknesses a couple times (in the second half). We had a little bit of momentum in the third before they went on a run to blow it open and never look back.”

McAuley ends the season with a 7-21 record and graduates seniors Kevin Tran, Jacob Bracich, Jeffrey Horinek and Declan Berkstresser.

“I am very optimistic looking forward,” Witt said. “We gained a ton of experience. … We showed signs of growth and mental toughness throughout the year in terms of taking on adversity, learning from it and getting back to what we do.”

Golden City advances to take on third-seeded Thomas Jefferson in the district championship game scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

GAME ACTION

Golden City took a 16-15 lead into the second period and pushed the lead out to nine points thanks to a 10-2 run out of the break led by four points from Josh Reeves and two 3-pointers by Elijah Pettengill to make the score 26-17.

Thomas Jefferson used a 12-4 spurt in response to trim the deficit to one with less than a minute to play in the first half. Noah Black had a pair of 3-pointers for the Warriors, while Michael Parrigon, Bradley Wagner and Bracich all head buckets.

The Eagles pushed the lead to 34-29 by the intermission thanks to two makes at the foul stripe by Reeves and a last-second jumper from Max Parrill.

The Warriors came out of halftime with back to back 3-pointers from Black and Parrigon to take a 35-34 lead, but that would be the last McAuley would hold the advantage on the scoreboard. Golden City closed out the third quarter on a 12-5 run to take a 46-40 cushion into the fourth period. 

“We’ve had eight guys lead us in scoring this year,” Witt said about the offensive struggles in the second half. “When the ball is going in, it’s contagious. We need to have someone step up next season when we have one of those scoring lulls. That is what is going to separate us from being mediocre to being a good ball club. When teams are scoring, you have to stop them or score back and we didn’t do either of those in the second half.”

The Eagles led by five early in the fourth quarter and used an 11-0 run to build an insurmountable double-digit lead. 

SCORING LEADERS

Reeves finished with a game-high 29 points to lead Golden City in scoring. Pettengill knocked down four 3-pointers and finished with 20 points. 

Black finished with 13 to lead McAuley, while Rocco Bazzano-Joseph finished with 12 points in the loss. Parrigon finished in double figures with 10 points, while Bracich added six points.

DISTRICT GIRLS HOOPS: McAuley pulls away from Everton to open postseason play

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Second-seeded McAuley Catholic girls basketball built a double-digit lead by halftime and pulled away down the stretch in the fourth quarter to earn a 57-39 win over seventh-seeded Everton in the Class 1 District 5 tournament on Saturday hosted by Thomas Jefferson.

The Warriors (17-10), who were without starting forward Lily Black because of illness, ended the first quarter on a surge and opened the second period in similar fashion to gain a 13-point lead with four minutes left in the first half. McAuley flirted with pushing the lead to 20 or more several times in the second half before Everton (3-18) made a run early in the fourth period to cut the lead to 11. Facing their first real adversity in the game, the Warriors responded with a 10-0 run to put the finishing touches on the district-opening win.

“The first thing I said to them after the game was that it wasn’t pretty, but at this point in the season, it’s survive and advance time,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “I’ll take an ugly win any day of the week. We were down Lily in this game and that was a huge loss because she does great defensively down low and she does a great job of getting our guards open. Other girls stepped in and got some minutes and played pretty well. … Overall, I am proud of their effort and I am just glad to be moving on.”

GAME ACTION

After playing to a 4-4 tie in the early going, McAuley took the first momentum swing after closing the first period on a 9-2 run highlighted by buckets from Kennedy DeRuy, Avery Eminger and Kloee Williamson to take a 13-6 advantage into the second period.

The Warriors opened the second period as hot as they closed the first, using an 8-2 run over the first four minutes to push the lead to double digits, 21-8. Eminger had an offensive rebound for a putback score, while DeRuy knocked down back to back 3-pointers to close the run.

“It’s very important for our confidence, especially down a starter, to close out quarters and open the next one well. … They started out in a man (defense) against us and I thought we could take advantage of that with some of our athleticism. When they switched to a zone, we just tried to find the open spots and attack. As long as we didn’t get in a hurry, we were successful.” 

McAuley took a 30-14 lead into the intermission and extended the advantage to 39-24 after a back-and-forth third period.

Everton made a run at the lead early in the fourth quarter, using a 9-2 run to trim the deficit to 11, 41-30, with less than six minutes to play in the game.

The Warriors answered the adversity with a scoring surge of their own, putting 10 unanswered points on the scoreboard to push the lead to more than 20 points for the first time, 53-32, with 2:35 left. DeRuy started the run with a three-point play after drawing contact on a score on the break. Eminger grabbed an offensive rebound for a bucket before DeRuy scored on a back cut. DeRuy closed the run with a floater to push the lead to 53-32 with 2:35 left in regulation.

“I think they knew this was do-or-die time,” Howard said of his team’s play down the stretch. “They had to do something to stop that run because they didn’t want to allow (Everton) to hang around until the end because if they are close late, all the pressure is on us. … I am proud of them for not falling to the adversity they faced there. A lot of these girls have played in big games the last couple of years and they are kind of used to that pressure. I thought they responded beautifully to it.”

SCORING LEADERS

DeRuy led McAuley with a game-high 26 points, including three 3-pointers. She had 14 points in the second half. Eminger finished with 22 points, 13 coming in the first half. Williamson finished with five points.

Jazzmenn Luney closed the game with 20 points, while Erza Wood had 11 for Everton. Kenzie Sartin finished with six points in the loss.

UP NEXT

McAuley takes on (3) Bronaugh (15-9) in the district semifinals at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

BOYS HOOPS: Thomas Jefferson builds early lead and holds off McAuley

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Thomas Jefferson built a double-digit lead in the first quarter and added on throughout on the way to a 59-46 win in Ozark 7 Conference and district action on Thursday.

The Cavaliers (18-6, 4-2 Ozark 7) opened the game with a double digit scoring run as the catalyst for Thomas Jefferson’s 11-point lead by the end of the first eight minutes. Thomas Jefferson pushed the lead to 18 by the intermission and past the 10-point mark three minutes into the second half. The Warriors (6-20, 0-6 Ozark 7) made a run at the lead in the fourth, but the Cavaliers held McAuley at bay in the closing minutes to preserve the district road win.

“I thought we played well early, but we obviously didn’t do a good job there down the stretch that last quarter and a half,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said. “I thought we got a little complacent. We talked about it before this game ever tipped off—McAuley is never going to go away. Coach (Tony) Witt does a great job with them. They battle tooth and nail all the way until the end no matter what the score is. They proved me correct right there because they stayed after it the whole game.”

SENIOR NIGHT

McAuley celebrated Senior Night before the game and held ceremonies for Kevin Tran, Declan Berkstresser, Jacob Bracich and Jeffrey Horinek.

“Those guys have been through some trials and tribulations,” McAuley coach Tony Witt said of his senior class. “When I took the job (two seasons ago), someone’s parent from that senior class told me those kids had a different coach every single year until I arrived. This is the only stretch where they have had some stability in their basketball career. For them to stick it out and keep bearing it, it says a lot about their character. They are absolutely great kids and high-character guys. I just wish I had them for all four years instead of two.”

GAME ACTION

Thomas Jefferson wasted little time taking control of the game, using a 13-0 run out of the game to dictate the pace early. Drew Goodhope and Caden Myers fueled the early surge with six points and five points, respectively. 

“Anytime you can build a lead, you are pretty happy,” Myers said. “I thought we played well in the first half. We just kind of let up right there at the wrong time and things started to get away from us. I thought we reeled it back in and really did a good job down the stretch of finishing.”

Jay Ball finished the first quarter with six points and ended the first half in double figures along with Myers and Goodhope to propel Cavaliers to an 18-point advantage by halftime, 36-18. 

Thomas Jefferson pushed the lead to more than 20 for the first time early in the third quarter after a score on the break by Myers and a pair of makes at the foul line from Ball made the score 42-20 with five minutes to play.

McAuley was able to close the third quarter on a 12-5 run to trim the deficit to 47-32 after a three-point play from Michael Parrigon in the closing seconds of the period.

The Warriors refused to go away down the stretch, cutting the lead down to 12 points, 52-40, off back to back 3-pointers from Rocco Bazzano-Joseph, who missed a significant portion of the season with a wrist injury, near the midway point of the fourth. Noah Black earned a steal for a layup on the break the other way to make the score 55-44 with 2:08 left in regulation, but that would be as close as the Warriors would get to the lead before the sound of the final horn. 

“He is just starting to feel comfortable again,” Witt said of Bazzano-Joseph. “When he first came back, you could tell he was favoring the wrist and trying to figure it out. He had only played four games before getting hurt and came back in mid-January. For him to come out of his shell tonight is really big for us down the stretch. When you have someone like him playing on the side of Noah (Black) and Michael (Parrigon) on the perimeter, it’s—optimistic is the word I would use. It’s very optimistic.”

SCORING LEADERS

Ball finished with a game-high 22 points and added 16 rebounds for a double-double to lead the way for Thomas Jefferson. Myers had two 3-pointers and finished with 15 points, while Goodhope scored 11 points, all of which came in the first half.

Bazzano-Joseph knocked down a game-high five 3-pointers and tied Ball with a game-high 22 points in the loss. Parrigon finished with eight points.

UP NEXT

Thomas Jefferson takes on Bronaugh (5-19) at 7:30 p.m. on Monday in the opening round of the Class 1 District 5 tournament hosted by the Cavaliers.

The McAuley boys take on Sheldon (8-17) at 4:30 on Monday in the opening round of the Class 1 District 5 tournament hosted by Thomas Jefferson.

GIRLS HOOPS: Early defense propels McAuley past Thomas Jefferson on Senior Night

Posted on by Lucas Davis

McAuley Catholic girls basketball used a staunch defensive effort in the second quarter to build a double-digit lead by the intermission, setting the pace in the second half on the way to a 50-27 Ozark 7 Conference win over Thomas Jefferson on Senior Night.

The Warriors (16-10, 4-2 Ozark 7) took a 12-10 lead into the second period before holding the Cavaliers (7-15) scoreless in the period to build an 11-point lead by halftime. McAuley pushed the lead to more than 30 points in the second half on the way to the district win.

“Senior Night is kind of an emotional night because they are playing their final game on the home floor,” McAuley coach Mike Howard said. “You always want to send the girls out on a win. The last few games have not gone our way, so we wanted to come out and focus on defense and make it an emphasis.”

SENIOR NIGHT MEMORIES

The McAuley girls celebrated seniors Kayleigh Teeter, Kennedy DeRuy and Avery Eminger before the tip with Thomas Jefferson.

“They have been playing together since they were little kids,” Howard said. “I just can’t say enough about all three of them. Their work ethic and passion for the game—there are not three other people that work harder than them. I am so proud to be able to send them to a win their last night here on our floor.”

Teeter, who is the third all-time leading scorer in McAuley girls basketball history with 1,383 points, saw her senior year end prematurely after suffering a season-ending knee injury near the midway point of the schedule. Allowing her one more chance to take the court in her team’s final home game of the regular season, Teeter suited for McAuley in her knee brace and was allowed to score the Warriors’ first points of the game on an uncontested layup. 

“I wanted to give her one more chance with everything that has happened,” Howard said of Teeter’s final basket as a Warrior. “(The knee injury) was so unfortunate for her. She is a great kid and the most humble person I have ever met. For a leader and one of our best players, it means a lot to send her out on a positive note and to give her the reception she deserves from the fans. She has meant a world to this team and our community.”

Getting all three seniors involved, Eminger tipped the ball to DeRuy, who dribbled down the court before passing to Teeter for the layup.

“It was a great honor just to go out there one last time with teammates I have played with since third grade,” Teeter said. “I cherished that moment and really tried to enjoy it. It was really meaningful, especially since it was (Kennedy who passed it to me). We’ve played together since third grade, doing travel ball with her. Just having that friendship and chemistry with her over the years is really special.” 

GAME ACTION

McAuley held a two-point lead after the first quarter and pushed the lead to double digits by the intermission thanks in large part to the Warriors’ effort on defense. McAuley held Thomas Jefferson scoreless in the second quarter, using what turned out to be a 9-0 run in the period to push the margin to 21-10 by halftime.

“The first quarter I felt like we were timid and still thinking about Kayleigh’s reception,” Howard said. “We weren’t too focused on playing the game. When the second quarter started, we actually started playing and got back into what we like to do and that is just play good defense.”

Eminger highlighted the scoring in the second quarter. After Lily Black opened the quarter with a bucket inside, Eminger scored the next six points for the Warriors to push the lead to 20-10 with 55 seconds left in the first half. 

McAuley pushed the lead to 19 several times in the third period before DeRuy knocked down a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer from the wing with less than three minutes to play in the quarter to give the Warriors a 37-16 advantage.

The Warriors outscored the Cavs 8-2 to close out the third quarter, with DeRuy accounting for a score off the drive and a corner 3-pointer to push the lead to 45-18 to start the fourth. Her final two baskets of the quarter pushed DeRuy into fourth place all-time on the McAuley girls career scoring list with 1,323 points.

SCORING LEADERS

DeRuy led the Warriors with 22 points, including a game-high five 3-pointers in the win. Eminger closed with 10 points and Kloee Williamson finished with eight. Black added 10 points.

Thomas Jefferson’s Tannah Grigg and Alexis Stamps finished with a team-high seven points each, while Lannah Grigg scored six.

UP NEXT

The McAuley girls take on Everton (3-17) at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday in the first round of the Class 1 District 5 tournament hosted by Thomas Jefferson. 

Thomas Jefferson takes on Bronaugh (14-9) at 1 p.m. on Saturday in the opening round of the Class 1 District 5 tournament hosted by the Cavaliers.

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