By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
CARTHAGE, Mo. - Neosho High School prevailed Saturday in the softball game it wanted to win so badly against Carthage this season.
The Wildcats, beaten twice by the top-seeded Tigers during the Southwest Conference race, unloaded 19 hits to cruise 16-9 for the championship of the Class 4 District 12 Tournament at the Fair Acres Complex.
It was the seventh district title in 10 seasons at Neosho for coach Beth Alms.
Third-seeded Neosho (17-10), which ousted No. 2 Joplin in the semifinals, will play Ozark at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the sectional round at Nixa. Carthage finished 15-14.
"It was a slugfest," Carthage coach Gordon Godfrey said. "I figured there would be a lot of offense generated.
"You can't take anything away from Coach Alms' team," Godfrey said. "Today, they were the better team. They really hit the ball hard into the gaps."
The Wildcats, who reached the state quarterfinals this past season, struck for three runs in each of the first, fourth and fifth innings and for four in the seventh.
Carthage didn't go easily, however. It reached winning pitcher Kanisha James, a sophomore right-hander, for 13 hits.
"We knew it would be a tough game," Alms said. "We hit the ball very well. We outhit them. Both teams had errors and some confusion.
"We've been hitting the ball hard. Our team batting average is about .355. It's the best in my 10 years."
Alms said she was also satisfied with Neosho's defense.
"We don't play perfect games," Alms said. "But I was satisfied with our defense except for one inning."
Alms, explaining that a broken foot last season had hampered James' development, was pleased with her pitcher's performance.
Neosho, with Bethany Henry's two-out, two-run single keying its three-run first, never trailed.
Dimitra Boman, who scored four runs, and Kreslee Ketcham had four hits apiece to lead the Neosho attack. Alaina Burkhart, Valerie Augspurger, Henry, Sarah Heath and Kelsey Loncarich each added at least two hits.
Heath, who had three hits, drilled a three-run homer - her third of the season - in the seventh. Heath drove in a fourth run with an infield groundout in the third.
Each Carthage starter garnered at least one hit. The Tigers received two apiece from Amber Beckner, Seph Williams, Kelsie Tarwater and Katelyn Tarwater.
Neosho 16, Carthage 9
Neosho3013324-16194
Carthage0103203-9132
Kanisha James and Kreslee Ketcham; Denise Taylor and Kelsie Tarwater. 2B-Neosho: Ketcham, Alaina Burkhart; Carthage: Amber Beckner, Sara Bridges, Amanda Patrick. HR-Neosho: Sarah Heath.
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