From staff reports

sports@joplinglobe.com

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Joplin settled a score with West Plains before falling to Glendale on Friday in the Southwest Missouri Invitational tennis tournament at the Cooper Complex.

The Eagles beat West Plains 7-2 in the eight-team dual-format tournament. The teams had played to a 3-3 tie earlier in the week in a weather-shortened Ozark Conference match.

“This just shows the improvement out of our girls,” Joplin coach Sean McWilliams said of the victory.

Glendale bounced the Eagles 7-2 in a semifinal match.

“Glendale is just a really tough team, with all six starters back from last year plus a freshman in the mix,” McWilliams said. “They will be one of the top teams in our district.”

Joplin returns to the complex to meet the Jefferson City-Springfield Catholic loser at 9 a.m. today in the third-place match.

Rachel Lazenby won both her No. 1 singles matches on Friday for the Eagles. Lazenby also won twice in doubles, with Lexi Willcoxon against West Plains and with Hannah Ingle against Glendale.

Joplin 7, West Plains 2

Rachel Lazenby def. Katie Shannon 6-0, 6-2. Hannah Ingle def. Hannah Gant 6-4, 7-5. Denise Moreno def. Amy Armstrong 6-1, 6-2. Erica Freeborn def. Beth Kittie 6-4, 6-0. Siri Ancha def. Emma Ray 6-4, 6-3. Lexi Willcoxon def. by Erin Nail 6-4, 6-3. Lazenby-Freeborn def. Shannon-Gant 8-3. Ingle-Moreno def. Armstrong-Ray 8-4. Ancha-Willcoxon def. by Kittie-Nail 8-5.

Glendale 7, Joplin 2

Lazenby def. Liz Saltzman 6-0, 6-0. Ingle def. by Ellen Bennett 6-2, 6-0. Moreno def. by Betsy Emmott 6-3, 6-1. Freeborn lost to Madelin Dunn 6-1, 6-1. Ancha def. by Chelsea Dunn 6-0, 6-2. Willcoxon def. by Megan Cox 6-3, 6-2. Lazenby-Ingle def. Saltzman-Bennett 8-3. Moreno-Freeborn def. by Dunn-Dunn 8-2. Ancha-Willcoxon def. by Emmett-Cox 8-1.

SOFTBALL

Rachel Green went 2-for-3 and knocked in three runs to spark College Heights to a 4-1 win against the Carthage freshmen at Four Seasons Complex.