North Callaway volleyball defeats Wright City in five, Blevins sets digs record

Lightning struck twice for North Callaway volleyball on Tuesday.

For the second straight season at home, the Ladybirds defeated Eastern Missouri Conference foe Wright City in five sets (23-25, 25-16, 16-25, 25-10 and 15-3) and were led by a school-record-breaking 32 digs by Riley Blevins. 

Blevins’ single-match record was one new occurrence in this recent five-set thriller with the Lady Wildcats (2-16, 0-4 EMO), leading the ranks that also saw Natalie Shryock finish with 12 kills and seven service aces, Rylee Horstman record 16 kills, and Jaden Smithee have 22 assists and seven aces.

North Callaway (1-3 EMO) tried to make it two consecutive conference wins at home on Thursday against Bowling Green but were swept (25-15, 25-20 and 25-16) by the Lady Bobcats (5-11-1, 2-1 EMO). Blevins led the team again with 19 digs, and Horstman followed with 15 digs.

The Ladybirds (4-11) play today in the Calvary Lutheran Tournament in Jefferson City.

North Callaway defensive mistakes precede 6-4 loss at state-ranked Silex

North Callaway softball was wishing it didn’t make errors on Thursday in Silex.

The Ladybirds lost 6-4 to the Class 1 No. 6 Lady Owls (13-8, 4-3 EMO) after allowing five unearned runs via four errors. 

North Callaway (13-10, 4-3 EMO) dropped its third straight game and third straight Eastern Missouri Conference game despite big performances from a few Ladybirds. Megan Schmidt went 3-for-4 with a double and a RBI along with pitching two shutout innings in relief, Abigail Schmidt went 2-for-2 with a RBI and a walk, and Ella Slater had two RBI.

North Callaway plays Kirksville (11-10) in the first round of the Central Invitational Tournament at 10:45 a.m. today at Bicentennial Park’s East Field.

Weird seventh inning difference in Ladybirds’ 6-5 loss to Louisiana

The seventh inning just didn’t go North Callaway’s way on Tuesday at home.

The Ladybirds lost a 5-3 lead against Eastern Missouri Conference foe Louisiana after allowing a three-RBI home run to opposing pitcher Mattie Chandler and then was the victim of an inning-ending double play on an infield-fly rule.

The top of the seventh was set up for Louisiana (10-8, 3-4 EMO) after an error and then a weak hit just over the infield with two outs. Chandler — who pitched six innings in relief with four hits, four strikeouts, one run and one walk — homered to center field as part of her 3-for-3, six-RBI day. Chandler pitched in relief after Reece Wommack allowed four runs to the Ladybirds in the first inning.

North Callaway (13-9, 4-2 EMO) set the table in the bottom of the seventh with the one out and bases loaded as Abigail Schmidt’s pop fly was called an infield fly and then Megan Schmidt was thrown out at home trying to score.

In the circle, the freshman Megan Schmidt struck out 10 and allowed three earned runs on 10 hits and one walk in seven innings. The home run to Chandler was the first home run surrendered by Schmidt in her young varsity career.

Schmidt led the offense as well by going 3-for-4 with a trip, double and two runs scored, Kymorie Myers had three RBI, a triple and a walk, and Liv Knoepflein and Faith Cash each had a RBI.