ROUNDUP: S-C tunes up for sectional competition

Smith-Cotton cross country coach Tara Clark called Saturday’s Laker Invitational a learning experience for her runners.

The boys and girls teams ran short-handed because of other school commitments and injuries and didn’t have enough people to earn a team score.

The invitational was run on a 3.1-mile course at Ha-Ha Tonka, the site of S-C’s sectional meet.

“It was a good experience,” Clark said. “It was really tough competition. Jeff City was there and so was Helias, Branson’s girls and Lebanon. A lot of the teams there, we’ll see in district.”

One varsity runner and three JV athletes brought home medals.

Elizabeth Ulmer placed 13th in the varsity girls race in 20 minutes, 58 seconds.

Jacoby Gepford finished 17th in the JV boys race in 19:25. James Pabon was 20th in 19:25.

Caitlyn Craig finished eighth in the JV girls race in 23:21.

Two varsity boys caught  the attention of the S-C coach, even though they didn’t win medals.

Anthony Beck ran a season-best 18:32, and Cooper Mittelhauser posted one of  his best times — if not the best — of the season, 19:12.

SOFTBALL

Clinton tournament

The Warsaw Wildcats outscored the opposition 39-1 Saturday to win the Clinton softball tournament.

Lone Jack gave the Wildcats their toughest opposition. Warsaw won 6-1.

The Wildcats (16-4) scored five runs in the second  inning to take control.

Kelli Wenberg was the winning pitcher, allowing one run — none earned — on two hits with eight strikeouts and no walks in seven innings.

Shawnah Kee paced Warsaw with two hits, and Haeley Kreisel had a team-high three RBIs.

Warsaw beat Clinton 13-0 behind Wenberg’s five-inning perfect game.

She struck out eight in a game called early because of the 10-run mercy rule.

Wenberg led Warsaw’s 11-hit attack with three hits.

Aubry Grenoble, Kee, Catherine Plakorus and Wenberg had two RBIs each.

The Wildcats routed Leeton 20-0 in their other game.

Warsaw strung together 13 hits in a game called after three innings because of the 15-run mercy rule.

Kee paced Warsaw with three hits and four RBIs. Amanda Polly had two hits and two RBIs, and Brandy Kellner had one hit and two  RBIs.

Kristina Strader was the winning pitcher. She gave up two hits and no walks while striking out five in three shutout innings.


Versailles 4, Knob Noster 3

The Versailles softball team scored one run in the bottom of the eighth inning Friday night to beat Knob Noster.

Versailles took a 3-0 lead in the first inning of a game played in Versailles. Knob Noster scored one in the third and two in the seventh to force extra innings.

Brooke Jackson took the loss, allowing one earned run on nine hits with two strikeouts and three walks in seven-plus innings.

Brandi Sahlfeld led Knob Noster’s eight-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Carrie Binder went 2-for-5 with a run scored, and Kourtney Cherry had one hit and one RBI.

GIRLS TENNIS

MRVC Tournament

Two Knob Noster girls tennis players won medals Saturday at the Missouri River Valley Conference tournament.

Brooklyn Wagner placed second in No. 4 singles, and Ericka Kjos was third in No. 1 singles.

Wagner beat Carrollton’s Madigan 9-8 (8-6) in the first round and Higginsville’s Lisa Chen 8-4 in the semifinals.

Grain Valley’s Lienna Meredith beat Wagner 8-6 in the final.

Kjos beat Lexington’s Lexi Skivers 8-6 in the first round and lost 8-2 to eventual champion Katlyn Barr, of Grain Valley, in the semifinals. Kjos beat Julia Faukner 9-8 (7-0) in the third-place match.

“Brooke and Ericka played great,” Knob Noster coach Scott Maple said. “They showed the kind of fight and determination necessary to win medals in this tough conference.”