Softball

Mexico first inning factors into win vs Monroe City, loss to Hallsville

Mexico softball head coach Curt Riley preaches that the Lady Bulldogs need to win every inning.

For most of the day, Mexico did win the inning but had split performances in the first innings during two games Saturday at Gallop Field in Mexico. Mexico trailed 3-0 after the first inning in its morning game against now 9-2 Hallsville following three errors that led to as many unearned runs. The Lady Bulldogs fell short in that game 8-5 but rebounded to defeat Monroe City 14-2 in five innings during the afternoon, leading 5-2 after one frame thanks partly to an Abby Bellamy home run.

In the Monroe City game, Bellamy hit two home runs, finished with three RBI and was walked twice while the rest of the Lady Bulldogs combined for six more extra base hits. Jo Thurman had a two-run homer and a double as part of her 3-for-4 game at the leadoff spot, Kierstan Epperson went 2-for-4 with a two-RBI triple, Hannah Loyd finished 2-for-3 with a double and Karlee Sefrit had two RBI. Emma Cunningham allowed two hits and one walk and struck out three in five innings.

Against Hallsville, Loyd had two RBI, and Epperson finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. Eboni Mayfield allowed nine hits, eight runs (five earned) and three walks with three strikeouts in seven innings.

Riley said Mexico did make a couple more errors and allowed as many unearned runs against Monroe City but responded quickly and with authority.

“Our big thing is winning every inning, and I thought we won that first inning,” Riley said. “We really hit the ball hard, ran the bases well, Emma (Cunningham) did an outstanding job on the mound — we had two pretty good pitching performances today.”

Riley said Mexico took better swings against Monroe City’s Taylor Pfaff than Hallsville’s duo of Abby Leer and Brianne Wildenhain, striking out twice in the afternoon compared to 14 whiffs in the morning. When the ball is being put in play more frequently, there is a chance some of those balls will carry as they did on the eight extra-base hits.

He said Brooke Teel is a slap hitter, and she slapped a triple over the center fielder’s head to score two runs in Mexico’s game-clinching fifth inning. 

“She’s been wanting to get something like that done,” Riley said. “When she bounced up on third, she was happy as I’ll get out.”

On the other hand, Bellamy isn’t a slap hitter as she demonstrated with two swings against Monroe City. Mexico went into the bottom of the first inning down 2-0 but were quickly back in it after Bellamy reached down to smash a ball out to center field. 

The Lady Bulldogs started playing home run derby in the third inning as Thurman put a charge into one before Bellamy blasted another low ball over the center field fence. 

“When she’s got her down and she hits it, it goes pretty far,” Riley said. “She did a good job hitting the ball today. I thought Kierstan Epperson did a good job hitting the ball. Jo Thurman played well, and that’s why she is at the top of the lineup. She’s going to stay there too.”

Mexico (8-7) visits Centralia (6-6) after the Lady Panthers defeated Highland 17-8 and Troy-Buchanan 5-2 in a triangular they played Saturday in Ewing.

Lady Trojans finish 4th at New Franklin tournament

Community R-6 was close to taking third place at the Terry Early New Franklin Softball Tournament, but still put up a fight for it.

The Lady Trojans defeated Atlanta 13-2 and lost 6-1 to Fayette to set up their final third-place title match against Westran, who was knocked to the third-place game at last year’s tournament after losing 11-4 to Community. The Lady Hornets scored five runs in the sixth inning to come back from a 7-6 deficit after five innings and defeat the Lady Trojans 12-10.

Community outhit Westran 10-7, thanks largely to three hits from Sarah Angel — who went 8-for-12 in the three games — and two hits each from Brooklynn Glasgow and Paige Painter. Painter had two RBI and was one of six Lady Trojans to drive in a run. 

In the first round against Atlanta, Community had a season-high 18 hits that were led by three-hit games from Angel and Olivia Kuda and four RBI on a triple and double by Jocelyn Curtis. Five other Lady Trojans had multi-hit games. Painter struck out four and allowed one earned run on five hits in six innings.

Community compiled eight hits against Fayette but were scattered by Fayette’s Skylar Sunderland. Angel and Painter each had two hits with Painter driving in the lone Community run on a double in the fifth inning.

Community (3-5) hosts reigning district champion Cairo on Monday in what will the first of four games in five days.

Centralia sweeps triangular vs Highland, Troy-Buchanan

Centralia picked up a couple of meaningful wins on Saturday.

The Lady Panthers played in a triangular hosted by Clarence Cannon Conference foe Highland in Ewing, defeating the Lady Cougars 17-8 to pay them back for a 9-4 loss earlier in the week and shutting down Class 5 reigning district champion Troy-Buchanan 5-2.

Centralia tallied 15 hits, with only three going for extra bases, against Highland as six Lady Panthers had multi-RBI games and four had multi-hit games. Makenzi Adkisson drove in three RBI followed by two each from Meredith Wright, Ellie Page, Cora King, Madi Johnson and Tilly Fox. Fox shared the team-lead in hits with Harper Sontheimer as both had three but Sontheimer scored four runs. 

Walters allowed six runs on eight hits against Highland, who hit another home run after the four it had the previous meeting, but also went the distance against Troy-Buchanan while allowing six hits and one earned run and striking out seven. Cady Finlay’s two-RBI double in the fourth inning was the game-winning hit as it doubled Centralia’s lead at the time to 4-0. She finished 2-for-3, and Jozelynn Bostick went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Centralia (6-6) hosts Mexico (8-7) at 5 p.m. Tuesday after the Lady Bulldogs split their Saturday triangular at home, losing 8-5 to Hallsville and defeating Monroe City 14-2 in five innings.

Cross country

Centralia boys, girls finish 2nd at Father Tolton Invitational

Father Tolton may have defended its home turf, but Centralia wasn’t too far behind.

On Saturday at the Father Tolton Cross Country Invitational, the Centralia girls finished second with 77 points behind Father Tolton’s winning 35 points. Jozelynn Bostick had the best finish in third place while the girls had two others finish in the top 15. The boys were second with 36 points behind Father Tolton’s 31 as JR Lesher finished fourth and was followed by two other Panthers in the top 20.

Bostick ran to a time of 20:04.63, which was slower than two Father Tolton girls including Elyse Wilmes’ winning time of 18:46.73. Kenedee Moss finished 11th with a time of 21:39.92, and Shelby Lewis was 15th with a time of 22:15.65.

Lesher had a time of 17:33.54 while the winning time was owned by Father Tolton’s Quentin Hermann at 16:51.08. Landon Moss finished 11th with a time of 18:04.61, and Carter Moss had a 17th-place time of 18:40.14.

MMA’s Powell make top 10 at Father Tolton meet

Bryson Powell represented Missouri Military Academy well Saturday in Columbia.

The cadet placed seventh at the Father Tolton Cross Country Invitational with a time of 17:49.52. The team placed eighth out of 13 teams with 214 points. 

Gerardo Quiroga was the next best finisher for MMA as he ran to a 31st-place time of 19:36.95.

Father Tolton won its home meet with 31 points and four of the top 10 finishers.

North Callaway’s Schmauch takes final top-15 spot at Linn

Pressley Schmauch gave North Callaway a top-15 finisher on Saturday.

Schmauch ran to a 15th-place time of 22:35.27 to lead the Ladybirds’ 10th place-finish as a team. 

She was one spot behind Paris’ Mairyn Kinnaman by 12 seconds and was ahead of Moberly’s Anna Rivera by about three seconds.

North Callaway’s next best finisher was Grace Rasmussen at 41st place and Brendan Reinhard had the top finish for the 13th-place boys at 58th place.

Elsberry won the boys team title and St. Charles West took the girls crown. 

Kinnaman, Chapman star for Paris at Linn Invitational

Mairyn Kinnaman continued to make Paris’ debut cross country season a memorable one on Saturday.

Kinnaman finished 14th in the girls race at the Linn Invitational with a time of 22:23.27. Landen Chapman snuck into the last spot of the top 25 on the boys side with a time of 19:43.32. 

Kinnaman was 12 seconds ahead of North Callaway’s Pressley Schmauch and was less than two seconds behind Osage’s Katherine Wolf.

For the girls, Alexandra Tullius finished 29th with a time of 24:06.75, and David Elzea ran to a 54th-place finish on the boys side with a time of 20:58.86.

Check out the full stories in the Sept. 14, 2022, edition of The Mexico Ledger or on the website that same day.