North Callaway ran out of time on Saturday.
North Callaway at Hallsville Invitational Photo Gallery
The Ladybirds began the softball season 1-2 in their games in the Hallsville Tournament. …
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North Callaway ran out of time on Saturday.
The Ladybirds began the softball season 1-2 in their games in the Hallsville Tournament. They finished the day with a 5-3 loss to Hallsville in the fifth-place game after the hour-and-15-minute time limit elapsed and also had a 5-0 loss to Eldon and 14-1 win over Salisbury.
North Callaway played three and half innings against Hallsville, five innings against Eldon and three innings against Salisbury. Head coach Mariah McKee said North Callaway isn’t in “game shape” since the team was three games into the season at the end of Saturday.
“It was a good day,” McKee said. “This is our first little outing so we knew there were going to be some bumps. That’s alright because we’re going to figure it out.”
Megan Schmidt allowed an unearned run to Hallsville in the first inning before eventually giving up a three-RBI home run to counterpart Grace Kempf in a four-run third inning for Hallsville. Kempf and the Lady Indians fouled off pitches prior to hitting pitches they could handle.
McKee said Schmidt and Liv Knoepflein were great in the circle. Schmidt allowed one unearned run on two hits in three innings against Salisbury, and Knoepflein allowed three earned runs on seven hits in five innings to counter Eldon’s Giana Blankenship, who struck out nine and allowed one hit in seven innings.
“The balls that did get hit off of them — most of them were good defensive balls to get some outs,” McKee said. “They worked through some tough spots and tough situations.”
Five Ladybirds had at least one RBI against Salisbury, including Kymorie Myers with three RBIs and Mady Gordon and Sophie Olsson with two each. North Callaway scored 11 runs in the first inning.
North Callaway took a 3-1 lead over Hallsville in the top of the third inning after Myers blistered a two-RBI double and Kendra Pennell lined an RBI single. Three batters reached base prior to that, forcing Hallsville to pitch to the all-state hitter Myers with the bases loaded.
“It was a great situation for us,” McKee said with a laugh. “People were playing some small ball and getting on base. We just needed baserunners for those big bats to have something when they got up there.”
Cheers flooded out of the North Callaway dugout when freshman Camrey Green started that rally with a single, in what was her first varsity at bat. After failing to put down a bunt, Green swung away with “hands to ball just right up the middle,” according to McKee.
“We’re proud of her,” McKee said. “She just went in and did it.”
