North Callaway softball smart on bases in 6-5 Senior Night win vs Mark Twain

North Callaway softball’s seniors this year run the bases well, and that’s what the Ladybirds did on Tuesday night.

North Callaway Softball Senior Night Photo Gallery

The Ladybirds stole seven bases, including some of them that set up senior Corynne Miller scoring on a passed ball and Abigail Schmidt hitting the game-winning RBI single in the fifth inning, and Kymorie Myers picked up her 42nd RBI for a new school single-season record in a 6-5 win to defeat Eastern Missouri Conference foe Mark Twain for the 11th straight time. The victory occurred on Senior Night, where Miller stole two bases and scored twice and senior Brianna Prosser fielded the final out at second base.

Head coach Mariah McKee said the pair have always brought speed to the Ladybirds (15-13, 5-3 EMO) and were on her radar during their sophomore years as North Callaway was rebuilding. The sophomore Ladybirds finished 5-14 and then went 8-15 the next season and moved to a 15-13 record this season. 

“They're good bats and smart baserunners. That is what they both are," head coach Mariah McKee said. "It's going to be missed on our lineup next year for sure.”

Mark Twain (7-12, 2-6 EMO) managed to tie the game at 4 in the fourth inning. An inning later, Miller drew a walk to leadoff the frame, stealing second base and advancing to third on a groundout before quickly touching the plate on a passed ball. McKee said it’s not the first time her leadoff hitter has scored a run like that.

“We just let her run,” McKee said. “She just runs, runs, runs.”

In 92 career games going into Tuesday's contest, Miller has a .364 batting average, .463 on-base percentage, 103 hits, 90 runs, 21 stolen bases, 10 doubles and five triples. In Prosser's 66 games as a Ladybird after transferring from Battle during her freshman year, she has .313 average, .346 on-base percentage, 61 hits, 38 runs, nine doubles and three triples.

“Bri is really good at drag bunting sometimes, coming up and just laying a bunt down and getting on base,” McKee said.

Miller said she has played competitive softball for nine years. In all that time, she said she felt gifted with her speed and has tried to implement it into her game. 

“I want to go hard 100 percent of the time,” Miller said. “When I used to play shortstop, it was good because I was able to run up to the ball quickly. I don’t have the strongest arm so that’s where the speed came in handy. When I moved to the outfield, it has been a pretty fun time going out there and catching fly balls.”

Prosser has played competitive softball for 11 years. She hasn’t been a Ladybird her entire high school career as she said she transferred from Battle in Columbia during freshman year. 

When Prosser debuted for North Callaway during sophomore year, she didn’t take long to adjust to her new surroundings. In fact, she said she had already become familiar with Miller and her new classmates because of the welcoming atmosphere.

“The team was more of a family than a team,” Prosser said. “I wouldn’t trade my transfer for anything. Corynne and I, when I transferred here, clicked right away. We’re very similar. It was really nice to see, over the three years I played here, pictures of us in the same stance talking to each other. It’s just the same progression of how we aged and how our team has matured.”

Miller and Prosser both feel like the program is in good hands when they depart as North Callaway has much talent left in its lower classes.

“We’ve got a lot of speed, a lot of talent, and a lot of people who have been playing since they were young,” Miller said. 

“We have a lot of endurance,” Prosser said. “It will suck not being here with them and knowing this is it for us with them. I’m excited to see what they have in store.”

The Ladybird seniors and the rest of the team aren’t finished with this year, however, as some of those young players played a role in Tuesday’s victory. Sophomore Ella Slater had five RBI  two games prior to driving in three RBI against Mark Twain, and the fellow sophomore Myers continued to be a force in the No. 3 hole by tallying 42 RBI in 28 games.

McKee is excited to see where Myers’ total reaches at the end of the season with some games left in the schedule, including districts.

“You have to hit a lot to get to that,” McKee said. “When people are on, it’s being able to put the ball in play and get runners in — not only having them on but being able to be a clutch enough to get those in.”

Sophomore Liv Knoepflein struck out four and allowed an unearned run in 4⅓ relief innings pitched after junior Lauren Speight struck out five in 3⅔ innings. Speight had Mark Twain missing some offspeed stuff before the Lady Tigers strung together some hits to bring in Knoepflein, who baffled the Lady Tigers with several called strikes.

“Liv’s riseball works pretty good,” McKee said. “She was hitting her spots really good on her corners too.”

In the junior varsity game, freshman Megan Schmidt has seen varsity time in the circle but threw a perfect game in a 9-0 five-inning victory against Mark Twain. Schmidt struck out 13 of the 15 batters she faced and also had a home run.

McKee said North Callaway has done well adjusting in recent games to different pitching and will have to continue doing that going into districts within the next two weeks. Case in point, the Ladybirds lost 14-7 at Centralia on Monday but finished with 14 hits. After facing a faster pitcher then, North Callaway mounted some offense against Mark Twain’s arms.

“We just played Centralia and someone who threw a little harder, so in adjusting to that to a slower pitcher, I thought we did a good job,” McKee said. “You stay back, drive the ball and be  selective. Make sure you wait for a good pitch.”

Ladybirds loses 5-1 to Bowling Green amongst sea of strikeouts

Both pitchers had good stuff on Thursday.

North Callaway freshman Megan Schmidt struck out 12 in a 5-1 losing effort at home against Class 2 No. 3 and the undefeated Eastern Missouri Conference champion Bowling Green. Columbia College recruit Megan Graver struck out 13 and limited North Callaway (15-14, 5-4 EMO) to an unearned run on five hits and no walks.

Bowling Green (16-5, 9-0 EMO) was able to score three unearned runs against Schmidt in the second inning to build an early 4-0 lead. Schmidt allowed 10 hits and walked two.

The Ladybirds’ lone run happened in the seniors’ final game on their home field as Corynne Miller hit a RBI double to score Brianna Prosser in the seventh inning. Each girls finished with two hits.

On Wednesday, North Callaway learned it will be the No. 3 seed in the Class 2 District 3 tournament and will play No. 6 Belle (7-9) at 7 p.m. Oct. 12 at South Callaway in Mokane. 

North Callaway volleyball

North Callaway swept three teams this week, including Brookfield on Monday, district foe Linn (25-23, 25-19 and 25-12) on Tuesday at home and district foe New Bloomfield on Thursday at home for Senior Night. In the Linn victory, senior Riley Blevins, who was crowned as the Homecoming queen on Friday night along with king Sam Pezold, led with 23 digs and Rylee Horstman had 11 kills and nine service aces.

North Callaway (8-12-1) will be the No. 5 seed that will face No. 4 seed Linn (6-8), who were swept by the Ladybirds in the regular season, at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 17 in the Class 2 District 6 tournament hosted by No. 1 seed Hermann.