Mexico earned a sweet prize even if it wasn’t the California Turf War Tournament championship this time.

On Friday, the two-time reigning California Tournament champion Lady Bulldogs defeated Boonville 10-1 and then lost 5-2 to Class 1 No. 1 St. Elizabeth in Saturday’s semifinals. In the third-place game following that, Mexico defeated North Central Missouri Conference foe and Class 3 No. 7 Fulton 10-9 after already losing to the Lady Hornets 11-10 this season.

After Mexico (9-11) erased a 10-run deficit to Fulton before losing on a walk-off earlier this year, it took the advantage this time against Fulton with a 10-4 lead after the fifth inning. Five runs in the sixth inning — capped by a two-RBI home run by Maddie Bright — made it interesting, but Aleigha Henderson recorded the final three outs necessary. 

Mexico finished with 10 hits, including two each from the top three in the lineup Hannah Loyd, Maddy Feger and Landri Teel. Five Lady Bulldogs each had a RBI.

St. Elizabeth was the team Mexico defeated for the championship a year ago but couldn’t overcome a 5-0 deficit after three innings. The Lady Bulldogs finished with five hits, but Teel had two of them along with two RBI.

Feger was 3-for-3 with four runs and three doubles against Boonville, and Teel and Payton Shaw were each 2-for-4 with four RBI. Keerstan Ewing struck out six and allowed one run on six hits in seven innings.

Teel was the star through three games by going 6-for-11 with seven RBI.

Mexico (3-2 NCMC)  plays at conference foe Moberly (6-13, 2-4 NCMC) at 5 p.m. Thursday.