KEARNEY, Mo. — The McDonald County Mustangs fell one win short of the Final Four.
Kearney defeated McDonald County 6-4 on Wednesday night in a quarterfinal contest of the MSHSAA Class 4 state softball tournament.
Kearney (24-8) will meet Warrenton (16-8) in the semifinals on Oct. 27 in Springfield.
McDonald County ends the season with a record of 23-10.
The visitors scored the game’s first three runs.
The Mustangs pushed across a single tally in the first inning, as junior shortstop Carlee Cooper doubled and later scored on Jacie Frencken’s RBI single into right field.
A junior third baseman, Frencken launched a two-run home run to center in the third inning to give the Mustangs a 3-0 cushion.
The Bulldogs scored twice in the bottom half of the third on Macelyn Morrow’s RBI single and a passed ball that allowed Morrow to charge home.
Kearney tied it up in the fourth after a double and a Mac County error.
Cooper blasted a solo home run to left-center in the fifth, giving the Mustangs a 4-3 lead.
But the Bulldogs answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Brooke Paalhar drove in the tying run with a single to left before Jadyn Barnes scored from third on a passed ball.
Kearney extended its lead with a run in the bottom of the sixth, as Ryleigh Van Emmerik smacked a run-scoring single up the middle.
The Mustangs put the tying runs on base in the seventh, but they were unable to score.
Nevaeh Dodson was charged with the loss. A junior who has been named the Big 8 Pitcher of the Year, Dodson allowed three earned runs on eight hits while striking out six in six innings.
Dodson, Cooper and Frencken had two hits apiece for the Mustangs’ six hits. Frencken, the Big 8 Player of the Year who drove in three runs, was intentionally walked in her final two at-bats.
Alyssa Quick started in the circle for Kearney, and she allowed four runs on five hits in five innings. Katelynn Landewee pitched the final two frames, allowing no runs on one hit.
McDonald County’s departing seniors are Alexis Abbott, Ashleigh Dornon, Reagan Myrick, Amanda Pacheco, Maggie Pratt and Analisa Ramirez.
ANDERSON, Mo. — McDonald County rallied in the bottom of the seventh to earn a 4-3 walk-off win over Carthage on Wednesday in a non-conference softball contest.
The game was deadlocked when McDonald County’s Amanda Pacheco stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. Pacheco delivered the game-ending single, with Jacie Frencken scoring the winning run.
The Mustangs improved to 10-4, while the Tigers fell to 10-9.
Nevaeh Dodson was the winning pitcher. She struck out 10, scattered eight hits and gave up three runs.
Carthage’s Ashlynn Jackson took the loss, but she only allowed three earned runs.
Frencken went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored for the Mustangs.
Aven Willis went 3-for-3 for the Tigers, while Alexis Smith had two hits and two RBI.
After the Tigers plated a run in the top of the first inning on Smith’s RBI single, McDonald County’s Frencken hit a two-run home run in the bottom half.
Frencken hit an RBI single in the second inning to give the Mustangs a 3-1 lead.
In the third, Carthage’s Landry Cochran singled and later scored on Smith’s RBI single into left, cutting her team’s deficit to 3-2.
The score held up until the top of the seventh, when Carthage tied it up on Jenna Calhoon’s run-scoring double.
The Mustangs rallied with one out in the bottom half, as Frencken singled, Katelynn Townsend was hit by a pitch and Natalie Gillming singled to load the bases for Pacheco, who gave Mac County a walk-off victory with her clutch hit.
Carthage hosts Willard on Thursday. McDonald County hosts Cassville on Thursday.
ANDERSON, Mo. — Destiny Buerge surpassed 1,000 career points and Carl Junction’s girls basketball team advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Class 5 state tournament with Wednesday’s convincing 58-32 sectional victory over McDonald County.
Carl Junction is in the state quarterfinals for the fifth time in six years.
“That’s big for our program,” Carl Junction coach Brad Shorter said. “I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of great kids and a lot of great assistant coaches. It’s a lot of fun. We have high expectations. The girls realize that and give me their best effort. And I’m going to give them my best effort. Hopefully we can get to the Final Four one more time.
“The expectations are high in our program,” Shorter added. “We understand we’re going to take everybody’s best shot and we want to give everybody our best shot. Our kids are growing up…a lot of sophomores and freshmen. They understand what we’re about. It’s a position we’ve been in before.”
With the win, the Bulldogs (18-8) will play at West Plains (26-3) at 1 p.m. on Saturday in an Elite Eight clash.
MILESTONE
Just a sophomore, Buerge entered the night needing 25 points to reach the 1,000-point milestone. She scored 28.
Carl Junction sophomore Destiny Buerge surpassed 1,000 career points on Wednesday against McDonald County. File phot.
Buerge joined the 1,000-point club by knocking down a short runner late in the game. The CJ student section gave her a nice ovation and Buerge couldn’t help but smile as she jogged back on defense.
“It’s terrific to have a sophomore score her 1,000th point,” Shorter said. “It’s a great feat. She just continues to get better and better.”
A 5-foot-8 guard who started all of last year as a freshman, Buerge admitted she didn’t envision reaching 1,000 points as a sophomore.
“I really didn’t,” said Buerge, who made 10 field goals and eight free throws to go along with eight rebounds. “This is a big accomplishment for me. It feels really good, especially since my teammates are there supporting me all the way through it. It really means a lot. It means more because it’s in a sectional game, and there were a lot of people here to see what I’ve done and how much I’ve worked to accomplish things.”
MUSTANGS END SEASON
The Mustangs were in the sectional round for the first time since 2015. McDonald County (13-15) graduates three seniors — Sydney Killion, Kristin Penn and Caitlyn Barton.
“Our senior group had just three wins their freshmen year and now we’re in the sectional game of the state playoffs,” McDonald County coach Sean Crane said. “It’s a great way for our seniors to end their careers. They left the program in a much better spot than when they came in which is always a goal.”
Crane noted his younger players gained valuable experience this winter.
NAMES & NUMBERS
Providing a needed spark off the bench, Carl Junction sophomore guard Klohe Burk contributed 15 points on five 3-pointers.
Fellow sophomore Hali Shorter had seven points, while junior Jessa Hylton and senior Hannah Lee chipped in four points apiece.
McDonald County was led by Killion’s 12 points. Penn contributed six points and eight boards. Sophomore Samara Smith pulled down 12 rebounds to go with four points.
The Mustangs were plagued by cold perimeter shooting and costly turnovers. The hosts committed 24 turnovers, while the Bulldogs had 11.
GAME RECAP
Carl Junction took control early and never relinquished its lead.
Ignited by a full-court press, the Bulldogs led 11-1 and 18-5 at the end of the first quarter.
Getting shots from in close after a number of offensive rebounds, McDonald County used an 8-5 run to pull within 12.
But Buerge scored in the lane before Burk buried a pair of 3-pointers, giving the Bulldogs a comfortable 33-13 halftime advantage.
“We got out and pressured them a little bit,” Shorter said. “I think we got some really good looks at the basket. Klohe Burk hit some big shots for us. She knocked down four 3s in the first half and that kind of opened up some driving lanes. But the defensive pressure was big for us.”
The Mustangs had 13 points and 13 turnovers in the first half.
“They got off to a good start and we just could not score,” Crane said. “We didn’t hit one 3. We could not hit the broad side of a barn. If we could have shot a little better, it could have been a different story. But obviously, they’re a good team.”
By the end of the third period, Carl Junction was up 41-18.
There was little drama as the fourth quarter began. The visitors outscored the hosts 17-14 for the final margin.
WHAT’S NEXT?
A spot in the Final Four will be up for grabs on Saturday.
West Plains knocked off Willard 47-27 in their sectional contest. Shorter noted his team will face a talented opponent on Saturday.
“They’re really good,” Shorter said of the Zizzers. “It’s basically the same team we saw last year when we were 28-0 and had Katie Scott. West Plains is very well-coached. They’ve got some athletes. We’re the underdog. We haven’t been the underdog much the last four or five years. So we need to go out, play loose, have fun and see what happens.”
SENECA, Mo. — Joplin’s girls basketball team grinded out a hard-fought 43-33 win over Monett in the fifth-place game of the Seneca Tournament on Saturday afternoon.
Clinging to a two-point lead at intermission, the Eagles outscored the Cubs 23-15 in the second half.
It may not have always been pretty, but the Eagles were able to end the tournament on a positive note.
“A win’s a win and we’ll take it,” Joplin coach Luke Floyd said. “In the second half, we played to our capabilities. I thought the girls did a better job of attacking in the second half and we did a much better job of moving our feet defensively. We were sluggish in the first half. It’s our third game in a row, but at the same time, we’re young so we should be able to handle that. Sometimes we have trouble being engaged from the get-go.”
The Eagles earned their seventh win of the season.
Sophomore guard Brynn Driver led Joplin with 12 points, while junior guard Brooke Nice added 11.
Sophomore guard Isabella Yust contributed eight points, while junior forward Emma Floyd had six. Nice and Yust hit two 3-pointers apiece.
Also for Joplin (7-12), freshman Bailey Ledford chipped in four points and senior Lily Pagan had two.
Kim Parris scored nine points for the Cubs, while Natalie Turner had eight.
The game was deadlocked at 10 at the end of the first quarter.
Monett led 18-14, but the Eagles scored six straight points to end the first half, as Nice recorded a hoop, Driver made one free throw before Yust buried a trey, giving Joplin a 20-18 halftime advantage.
The Eagles were up one late in the third period when Pagan made one foul shot and Driver scored on a drive through the lane, extending Joplin’s lead to 31-27 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Eagles would never relinquish their lead, as they outscored the Cubs 12-6 in the final frame.
Driver, Nice and Yust made field goals to push the advantage to 39-31 with just under two minutes to play.
Floyd noted his team played much better in the second half.
“Defensively, in the first half we put them on the free-throw line too much,” Floyd said. “Offensively, we settled for the 3 too much. But the girls made the adjustments we needed to make in the second half.”
Joplin returns to Central Ozark Conference play at Ozark on Monday.
AURORA 45, SENECA 36
A big second quarter propelled Aurora to the tourney championship.
The Houn’ Dawgs outscored Seneca 19-3 in the second period and then held off the Indians late in the 10th annual event’s title game.
Elizabeth Martin scored 27 points for Aurora.
Aliya Grotjohn, a junior who recently surpassed 1,000 career points, scored 26 of Seneca’s 36 points.
Makayla French and Grotjohn knocked down two treys apiece in the opening frame, and the Indians led 12-8.
But Aurora got going offensively in the second quarter while the Indians went cold from the field.
After the Houn’ Dawgs went on a 19-0 run, Grotjohn’s trey in the final minute of the first half accounted for Seneca’s only points of the frame and cut Aurora’s lead to 27-15 at the break.
Aurora led 32-17 when Grotjohn scored 11 straight points. Grotjohn’s sixth trey of the game trimmed Aurora’s lead to three, but the Houn’ Dawgs responded with seven straight points to seal the win.
MUSTANGS TAKE THIRD
In the tournament’s third-place game, McDonald County defeated Purdy 40-22.
The Mustangs led 20-9 at intermission and 30-17 at the end of the third quarter en route to victory.
Samara Smith scored 10 points for the Mustangs, while Carlee Cooper and Abby Wiseman added six points apiece.
Kinsley Mattingly scored six points for Purdy and Annabelle Bowman had five.
ANDERSON, Mo. — A lack of defensive stops doomed the Carl Junction boys basketball team in Monday’s 89-70 loss to McDonald County.
Up six at the break, the Mustangs erupted for 33 points in the key third quarter to pull away for good.
“We didn’t get out and guard,” Carl Junction coach Justin Pock said of the third quarter swing. “They got the ball inside and we didn’t put up much resistance. I didn’t think our defensive effort was there tonight. Giving up 89 points is way too many.”
“All year we’ve struggled in the middle two quarters,” McDonald County coach Brandon Joines said. “Tonight, we knew it was a new year and we had to be a new team. We wanted to play four quarters of basketball and we finally did. We put it together. Our kids stepped up and played their game. I’m proud of that one.”
Senior guard Sincere Williams led Carl Junction with 20 points, while classmate Isaiah Hefner added 10 on three treys and a free throw.
Three others scored nine points for Carl Junction—Alex Baker, Kyler Perry and Jaden Cherry. The Bulldogs went 8-of-19 at the foul line.
Five players scored in double figures for the Mustangs, who were able to pound the ball inside again and again.
Pierce Harmon and Teddy Reedybacon scored 18 points apiece to lead McDonald County, while Cross Dowd added 15 points. Eli McClain scored 13 points and Garrett Gricks added 12.
Harmon and Dowd buried three treys apiece, while Cole Martin hit two 3-pointers.
“Tonight they worked hard and they earned it,” Joines said of his team’s effort. “Offensively, our post players put up over 40 points and our guards put up over 40 points. That is a solid team effort in my opinion. If we play like that, we’re going to be tough to play. We just have to do it consistently.”
McDonald County led 16-12 at the end of the back and forth first quarter.
The Bulldogs put together a 10-0 burst in the second quarter and the non-conference clash was deadlocked at 31.
But the Mustangs finished the first half on a 7-1 run, with Dowd scoring all seven points.
The fired-up Mustangs got going in a big way in the third quarter, putting up 33 points to take a comfortable 71-55 lead into the fourth quarter.
During the third period, the hosts were able to get out in transition, get shots at point-blank range and also created turnovers.
“We had a lot of offensive opportunities, but we turned it over too much and gave it right back to them,” Pock said.
A 9-2 surge pushed McDonald County’s lead to 20 at 67-47. Hefner hit two 3-pointers late in the third period for CJ, but the Bulldogs still trailed by 16.
The final frame was nearly even, but the big deficit was too much to overcome for the Bulldogs.
Pock noted his team continued to play hard until the final horn.
“Our guys will always play hard,” Pock said. “I haven’t seen them give up at all. Our guys don’t put their heads down. They fight through. That’s what we have to continue to do.”
The Bulldogs will take on the host Joplin Eagles at 7:30 on Wednesday night at the Kaminsky Classic. McDonald County hosts Monett on Friday.
The McDonald County Mustangs earned a 35-19 win over Springfield Catholic on Friday night.
The Mustangs are now 1-1.
Bailey Lewis ran 24 times for 241 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Mustangs.
Quarterback Cole Martin completed 5 of 10 passes for 94 yards with three touchdowns. Trent Alik hauled in two touchdown passes and had 50 receiving yards.
Catholic’s Will Squibb passed for 192 yards on 16 completions. Matthew Schmittling had 49 rushing yards and 36 receiving yards. Liam O’Reilly had eight catches for 93 yards.
McDonald County will host Lamar next Friday.
MCDONALD COUNTY 35, SPRINGFIELD CATHOLIC 19
Springfield Catholic 0 7 6 6 — 19
McDonald County 0 14 14 7 — 35
MC: Trent Alik 22 yard pass from Cole Martin (Jared Mora kick)
CATH: Matthew Schmittling 3 yard pass from Will Squibb (J.D. Bilger kick)
MC: Alik 23 yard pass from Martin (Mora kick)
CATH: Schmittling 17 yard run (Kick fail)
MC: Bailey Lewis 15 yard run (Mora kick)
MC: Lewis 11 yard run (Mora kick)
CATH: Squibb 1 yard run (Pass fail)
MC: Levi Malone 32 yard pass from Martin (Mora kick)
