Several Ladybirds accomplishing great things adds to the team accomplishing great things.

North Callaway vs Smith-Cotton Photo Gallery

That is how North Callaway viewed Saturday after it finished third in the Centralia Invitational for its best finish in that tournament since 2015, defeating Class 5 Smith-Cotton 3-2 in the third-place game. Kymorie Myers seized the team lead and school record books with seven home runs by hitting three during the day, and Megan Schmidt set a new career-high with 16 strikeouts against the Lady Tigers, surpassing 100 strikeouts this season at 110.

Head coach Mariah McKee said the Centralia tournament always has tough competition so it is encouraging to see her team do so well on Saturday, winning 21-6 against Kirksville and losing 11-1 to Class 3 No. 3 Hallsville. She said the milestones and records are cool accomplishments but signs of the team thriving.

“It’s awesome because we haven’t done this in a really long time,” McKee said. “The girls are really showing out and showing up and taking care of business. They are earning the respect that they deserve. They’re a good ballclub. I’m glad we’re finally able to see that hard work come to surface.”

From the start of the day, North Callaway (19-10) indicated the offense was ready as it clobbered Kirksville but also set a new school record. The Ladybirds hit five home runs, including two from Schmidt, and one each from Myers, Ella Slater and Kendra Pennell. Myers went 3-for-3 with six RBI, Slater was 2-for-4 with three RBI, Schmidt was 2-for-3 with three RBI, Pennell had three RBI, and Liv Knoepflein and Maddy Gordon each had two RBI.

Before Schmidt dazzled in the circle, she hit multiple home runs in a game for the first time she could remember. Myers had yet another multiple home run game in her career against Smith-Cotton (15-9) and was excited to see the team give that effort early against Kirksville.

“It feels great to work as a team,” Myers said. “We’ve been working our butts off in the cage for a while, so for it to produce on the field for once is great.”

Myers can hit balls far and most of her home runs leave no room for doubt of whether they are going over the fence. Both of her home runs against Smith-Cotton could be classified like that, with her first tying the game at one and the next preceding a Faith Cash RBI single to give North Callaway a 3-1 lead. 

Myers’ total ties a single-season school record. Over her first two seasons, the junior Myers hit seven home runs so she is happy to be helping the team that much more this season.

“I just knew I had to get on base because we had to get a run somehow,” Myers said. “I was just calm, and I just hit the ball well.”

“She’s just taking care of business and doing what she needs to do,” McKee said. “It’s just being a year older than what she was last year and really just maturing at the plate and being able to take the pitches that she needs to take and driving the ones she needs to drive. She is a really smart hitter. Each year is just going to get better and better for her.”

As a sophomore, Megan Schmidt is already attracting talk about Danielle Cassidy, who is a school record holder in various categories. Chief among them, Cassidy holds the single-season strikeout record of 182 set during her senior year in 2014. During that season, she struck out a season-high 19 and finished with at least 16 strikeouts three other times.

Schmidt said she is thankful that her defense — especially her older sister and catcher Abigail Schmidt — has her back and that her work is paying off so well. Her previous career-high was 12 strikeouts against Bowling Green last season but blew past that after five of the final six outs were strikeouts.

“My sister, Abigail, did a great job behind the plate,” Schmidt said. “Her framing helps a lot with those outside pitches. A lot of the strikeouts came from some spinny pitches that worked up.”

“All of it,” McKee said when asked what was working so well for Schmidt against Smith-Cotton. “Curveball, rise and just attacking the zone.”

After Saturday, the Ladybirds have won their most games in a season since winning 20 during the most recent district championship team in 2017.

Schmidt is glad she has hitters like Myers supporting her whenever she pitches, saying to her “I love you having my back.” Conversely, Myers feels just as glad whenever Schmidt is pitching. 

“She carries us out there, and she brings the energy,” Myers said. “From her doing that on the field, that helps us offensively.”