Tag: softball

WEBB CITY, Mo. — The highly motivated McDonald County Mustangs wasted little time in taking control of Thursday’s district title game. 

A four-run first inning propelled second-seeded McDonald County past top-seeded Nevada 8-3 in the championship game of the Class 4 District 7 softball tournament at the Webb City athletic complex.

“It was absolutely huge to take control of the game early,” Mustangs coach Heath Alumbaugh said. “We wanted to attack early. Putting up four runs in the first inning allowed us to control the tempo of the game. That was huge.”

The Mustangs entered the night with plenty of extra motivation. 

For starters, the team fell short in a district title game the past two seasons. 

That’s not all. Nevada defeated Mac County 4-2 earlier this season in Big 8 play.

“Nevada’s a great team,” Alumbaugh said. “I don’t want to take away anything from them. They got us earlier this season. And from that day on, that’s been a motivating factor in practice. Our girls have worn that one pretty hard. They got back to work. They knew there was a chance we’d get a shot at Nevada again. Tonight was that shot.” 

It’s McDonald County’s first district championship since 2019.

“This is huge,” Alumbaugh said. “That’s the expectation in our program and that’s the community’s expectation for our program. To be able to do it this year, after being upset in the last two, it’s the monkey off our back. It was just a great job by our girls to get it done.” 

In Mac County’s big first inning, leadoff batter Nevaeh Dodson reached on an error and came home on Carlee Cooper’s RBI single to right. 

Next, Jacie Frencken launched a two-run home run to right-center before cleanup hitter Katelynn Townsend followed with a homer to center for a four-run cushion. 

“They’re a good team and they grabbed the momentum from the start,” Nevada coach Danny Penn said of the Mustangs. “Giving up four runs in the first, especially when it started with a defensive error, it was hard for us to catch our breath. Credit to McDonald County. We made some mental mistakes that allowed innings to be prolonged and they took advantage of that.”

The Mustangs, who were in a district title game for the fifth straight season, added a single tally in the second when Cooper charged home from third after a dropped third strike. 

Down 5-0, Nevada plated three runs in the third on back-to-back doubles from Kirstin Buck and Ella Heathman.

“I’m proud of how we responded in the third,” Penn said. “We made it a game, but they were the better team today.” 

With their lead trimmed to two, the Mustangs responded immediately in the fourth. Reagan Myrick smacked a two-run single into left and later scored on an error for an 8-3 advantage.

“We’ve been preaching that there will be ups and downs,” Alumbaugh said. “When you’re down, you have to find a way to battle and get out of it. And you have to answer right back and our girls did that.” 

A junior right-hander, Dodson earned the pitching victory. She struck out 11 and scattered seven hits. 

“She’s a fierce competitor,” Alumbaugh said. “There’s no give in. She gave up some hard hit balls and some runs in the third, but then she put up zeros after that. That’s a competitor.” 

Natalie Gillming, Cooper, Frencken, Townsend and Myrick all had two hits apiece for the Mustangs. 

Peyton Eaton was charged with the loss. She allowed four earned runs on 11 hits and struck out nine. Caylee Holcomb had two hits for the Tigers, who were looking to repeat as district champs.  

The Tigers end the season with a record of 24-12.

“This season was a gauntlet,” Penn said. “We played 36 games, which is a lot. It feels like it was a marathon. But we won 24 games, we won our conference and we were second in a very tough district. I’m proud of how hard these girls worked and competed all season long.”

McDonald County (23-9) meets the District 8 champion on Oct. 19 in the quarterfinals of the state tournament. The District 8 title game between Kearney and Platte County is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Saturday.

WEBB CITY, Mo. — The McDonald County Mustangs set up an all-Big 8 district championship game with their 3-1 win over Webb City on Wednesday in the semifinals of the Class 4 District 7 softball tournament.

Nevaeh Dodson finished with 14 strikeouts and pitched a four-hitter, Jacie Frencken and Analisa Ramirez hit solo home runs, McDonald County played clean defense behind Dodson, and pinch runner Anissa Ramirez scored the go-ahead run with some heads-up baserunning.

McDonald County plays for a district title for the fifth consecutive season, and the Mustangs look for their first district title since 2019.

“It always feels good,” McDonald County coach Heath Alumbaugh said. “It’s where we want to be every year. I think we also understand how lucky we are to be there that many times. I’ll be honest, even talking to our girls right down there, I don’t think it’s a take it for granted we’re going to be there situation. I think we’ll be ready to go.”

The second-seeded Mustangs (22-9) take on top-seeded Nevada (23-11) for the crown at 5:30 on Thursday night. The Tigers prevailed 4-2 in eight innings during the previous meeting this season in late September.

“Great ballclub,” Alumbaugh said of the Tigers. “It’ll be a dogfight tomorrow. We’re looking forward to it.”

Nevada defeated Willard 6-5 in the first semifinal contest on Wednesday, winning on a walk-off bunt during a game when the two teams combined for over 30 hits.

Dodson started on fire in Wednesday’s nightcap and plowed through the Cardinals lineup with a perfect game and seven strikeouts after three innings.

Dodson also singled in the first and doubled in the third, but the Mustangs were unable to push across the first run.

Swinging on the first pitch in the Webb City fourth, freshman third baseman Kylee Sargent ended Dodson’s potential perfect game and no-hitter with a solo home run to left-center.

Freshman second baseman Lily Hall doubled next, but the Mustangs retired the side to maintain their 1-0 deficit.

Frencken, McDonald County’s all-time single-season leader in home runs, led off the fourth with a blast to left-center.

Dodson only allowed two more hits, both singles, over the final three innings. She struck out two in the first, two in the second, three in the third, two in the fourth, three in the fifth, one in the sixth, and one more in the seventh.

“She’s going to go out and compete her butt off in the circle to give us a chance,” Alumbaugh said. “If we give her some run support, we’ve always got a chance.”

The Mustangs surrendered only a single run over 14 innings in their district tournament wins against Webb City and Monett.

Senior left fielder Analisa Ramirez provided the Mustangs with a critical insurance run headed into the seventh.

“I tell you what, Analisa’s been getting hot here toward the end of the season,” Alumbaugh said. “The Carthage tournament, she goes double off the top of the wall. Starts the game (Wednesday) with a shot down the line. Knew it was coming… it just couldn’t have come in a better spot.”

Sophomore pinch-runner Anissa Ramirez scored the go-ahead run in the fifth, taking advantage of a Webb City throwing error with two outs.

“We talk about it all the time,” Alumbaugh said. “All three phases of the game. Throw strikes, play defense, and timely hitting, but baserunning as well. That’s heads-up baserunning by Anissa Ramirez, the little sister. She comes on in that spot and never even slowed down turning the corner. She knew what was going on, and that was a big run.”

McDonald County defeated Webb City also by a 3-1 score only nine days before.

The Cardinals finish their season 17-20 overall and they are in the rare position of not graduating a single player and possibly returning their entire roster for next season.

“We had a repeat from last Monday night,” Webb City coach Shauna Friend said. “We were hoping to come out on top this time. We knew that we could compete with Mac County based on how we played last Monday, and we did compete. I’m incredibly proud of this team. They’ve grown a lot this season.

“I mean, I know they’re down and upset right now but I don’t think they realize how much potential they do have in the coming years from being so young and getting so much experience as a young team.”

NEVADA 6, WILLARD 5

With the game deadlocked in the bottom of the seventh inning, Nevada’s Kara Phillips reached on an error with one out to start the late-game rally. 

Phillips went to third on a passed ball before Teresa Dawn was hit by a pitch and Kaleiah Johnson was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Next, Caiden Blake laid down a squeeze bunt and Phillips scored the winning run.

Kirstin Buck went 3-for-4 for Nevada, while Caylee Holcomb, Skyler Burns, Peyton Eaton and Phillips recorded two hits apiece.

Eaton was the winning pitcher. She allowed four earned runs and 18 hits in seven innings.

Willard’s Abigail McMillin took the loss after allowing five earned runs on 14 hits.

WEBB CITY VS. MCDONALD COUNTY STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

WEBB CITY, Mo. — After meeting in a district championship game the past two seasons, familiar foes Webb City and McDonald County will clash in the semifinals this year. 

Led by a pair of stellar pitching performances, third-seeded Webb City defeated sixth-seeded Bolivar 7-0 and second-seeded McDonald County upended seventh-seeded Monett 2-0 on Tuesday in quarterfinal contests of the Class 4 District 7 softball tournament at the Webb City athletic complex.

The Cardinals (17-19) and Mustangs (21-9) will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the district semifinals. 

The two programs are no strangers in the postseason, as Webb City knocked off Mac County in district title games in both 2021 and ’20. 

In this year’s regular season meeting, the Mustangs edged the Cardinals 3-1.

The season is on the line in Wednesday’s rematch.

“We’ve become postseason rivals and we definitely feel like we can compete with them,” Cardinals coach Shauna Friend said. “We just played them last week and it was a hard-fought game. I think the girls are going to be ready to go tomorrow. I think it’s going to come down to whoever comes out ready to play.”

WEBB CITY 7, BOLIVAR 0

Webb City’s Laney Taylor had a night to remember in the circle, as the sophomore right-hander tossed a one-hit shutout, striking out eight in a complete-game gem. 

Taylor had a perfect game with one out in the seventh before Bolivar’s Carly Cribbs drew a walk and Kacee Jenkins blooped a single into right. Taylor then retired the side to secure the victory.

“Laney had a great night,” Friend said. “She was hitting her spots all game. She came out ready to compete and she did a great job. I wish she could have made it all the way through the seventh (without giving up a hit or a walk)… but she did a great job. And our defense was outstanding behind her.”

The hosts got the bats going early in this one.

The Cardinals pushed across a single tally in the first on Lily Hall’s RBI double. 

Webb City added two runs in the second. Makenzie Wynn’s squeeze bunt allowed Sydney Strickland to score from third before Kyley Senter came home on a throwing error.

The hosts extended their lead to 5-0 in the third after run-scoring base hits from Alex Maturino and Jensyn Pickett.

“It definitely helps your pitcher when she gets some early run support,” Friend said. “Getting some runs early builds confidence. Our girls just came out and did a great job tonight.”

Liz Rhuems hit an RBI single in the fourth and Kylee Sargent blasted a solo home run in the sixth for the final margin. 

Webb City, which featured six freshmen in the starting lineup, recorded 10 hits. Rhuems went 3-for-3, while Sargent had two hits and scored three runs. The Cardinals did not make an error in the field.

Bolivar’s Makayla Methvin took the loss after surrendering six earned runs on 10 hits and a walk in six frames. 

MCDONALD COUNTY 2, MONETT 0

A pitcher’s duel went Mac County’s way.

McDonald County’s Nevaeh Dodson was dominant in the circle. Dodson struck out 13 and gave up just two hits and walked none in a masterful performance. 

Helping her own cause, Dodson homered in the bottom of the first inning.

Mac County added a run in the third when Maggie Pratt scored from third base on a wild pitch. Those were the lone runs of the game.

Dodson and Pratt had McDonald County’s lone hits.

Kilee Wilson was charged with the loss, but she threw well in defeat. Wilson allowed two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out 11 in six innings.

Recording Monett’s hits were Madeline Mettlach and Natalie Rivera. 

The Cubs end the season with a record of 8-23.

NOTES: Fourth-seeded Willard beat fifth-seeded Carl Junction 14-3 in the first quarterfinal (See a related story). 

Top-seeded Nevada meets Willard in Wednesday’s first semifinal at 5 p.m. 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

RELATED STORY: DISTRICT SOFTBALL: Willard rolls past Carl Junction in district quarters – SoMo Sports (somo-sports.com)

WEBB CITY, Mo. — The Joplin Eagles definitely concluded conference play on a positive note.

Joplin scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning to earn a 3-2 victory over Webb City on Tuesday in the Central Ozark Conference softball finale for both squads.

It was Joplin’s first win over Webb City since Oct. 8 of 2015.

“That’s a great win,” Joplin coach Brenden Schneider said. “It’s been a long time coming for these girls. Webb City has a great tradition, so it’s nice to come here and find a way to win. I’m very proud of the girls.”

After five scoreless innings, both teams pushed across two runs in the sixth inning.

The Eagles manufactured the go-ahead run in the intense seventh inning against Webb City reliever Karsyn Cahoon. 

Jadyn Pankow reached on an infield single, with Carlie Howard pinch-running. Howard took second on a wild pitch and went to third on Riley Kelly’s groundout. 

Next, Izzy Yust slapped a grounder to short, and Howard beat Jensyn Pickett’s throw home, giving the visitors a 3-2 cushion.

The Cardinals went down in order in the bottom of the seventh. 

“Our girls could have laid down after giving up two runs in the sixth, but they didn’t,” Schneider said. “They responded. That’s been our thing all year…we find a way. I’m extremely proud.”

Joplin, ranked fourth in Class 5 by the Missouri High School Fastpitch Coaches Association, hiked its record to 22-9 overall. The Eagles finished 5-4 in the COC.

The Cardinals, who featured five freshmen in Tuesday’s starting lineup, slipped to 16-17 overall and finished 5-4 in conference games. 

Webb City coach Shauna Friend noted she was proud of her team’s effort.

“I’ve been proud the last two nights,” Friend said, noting a 3-1 loss to McDonald County one night earlier. “We’ve come out and played hard and competed really well. We’d love to come out on the other end of things, but we just couldn’t get enough run support. We just needed to string some hits together. But our girls fought hard tonight, so I’m proud of that.”

Joplin senior right-hander Jill McDaniel earned the pitching victory with a solid performance in the circle. A Highland Community College commit, McDaniel limited the Cardinals to two runs on five singles and two walks while striking out six. 

“The thing I was really happy with was she only walked two batters,” Schneider said. “She’s just been a warrior. She was hurt for a while and she found a way to come back. She’s proven herself. She can pitch with anybody as long as she’s in the right frame of mind.” 

Four Eagles recorded two hits apiece—Bailey Ledford, Pankow, Kelly and Kirsten McMillen.

Sophomore right-hander Laney Taylor started in the circle for the Cardinals. She went 5 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on nine hits while striking out two in a no-decision. Cahoon took the loss after allowing one run on one hit in 1 2/3 innings.

Alex Maturino, a freshman outfielder, had two of Webb City’s five hits. 

The Eagles threatened in the third, fourth and fifth innings, but Taylor maneuvered out of trouble all three times. 

“We did some things today that we don’t normally do,” Schneider noted. “We got thrown out at the plate three times. Credit to their shortstop on one of those. She made a phenomenal play. But we’ve got to be smarter on the basepaths. We’ve got some things to clean up.”

Joplin finally broke through in the sixth. 

With one out, McMillen singled before McDaniel reached on Webb City’s lone error of the game, putting runners on second and third. 

Maria Loum drove in the first run with a fielder’s choice, with McMillen scoring on a close play at the plate. Ledford followed with a run-scoring single up the middle for a 2-0 advantage.

Webb City responded in the bottom half. 

The Cardinals loaded the bases with one out after Lily Hall singled and Dawsyn Decker and Pickett drew walks. Next, Maturino delivered a game-tying, two-run single through the left side. 

McDaniel retired the side to keep the game deadlocked before the Eagles rallied in the seventh. 

“I feel like we’re doing a lot better at competing until the end, and hopefully that carries into districts,” Friend said.

Webb City ends the regular season on Saturday with a non-conference doubleheader against Kickapoo and Class 5 No. 1 Rock Bridge. The Cardinals are the host of the Class 4 District 7 tournament.

Joplin concludes the regular season on Thursday at former Ozark Conference foe Waynesville. The Eagles will compete at the Class 5 District 5 tournament next week.

With the postseason quickly approaching, Schneider likes where his team is at.

“These last two wins, 2-1 over Glendale and 3-2 tonight, are great wins to get before we head to the district tournament,” Schneider said. “It’s good for us to be in these situations. You never know what the district tournament is going to bring. It’s a crazy atmosphere. It’s been good to see us in challenging situations against good teams like Webb City. We hope to have a good game on Thursday and then regroup a little bit. We need to find a way to hone in on the things we need to work on before the district tournament.” 

District tourney seeds and brackets are expected to be released on Wednesday.