From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Joplin All-Stars suffered their first loss Wednesday morning in the Central Region Girls Softball Tournament, dropping a 10-0 decision to Polk City, Iowa, at the Fair Acres Sports Complex.
Joplin (2-1 tourney record) completes pool play at 8 p.m. today against Tallmadge, Ohio (3-0). Michigan and Illinois, the only other unbeaten teams in the 13-team field, clash tonight at 8.
Matching Joplin’s 2-1 tournament record are Girard, Kan., Polk City and the Kentucky state champion. Girard prevailed 3-1 Wednesday over Wisconsin.
The top six teams advance to single-elimination bracket play, which starts Friday night.
In addition to the Joplin-Polk City contest, three more games Wednesday were decided by 10-0 scores — Tallmadge over Grand Rapids (Minn.), Kentucky over South Dakota and Michigan over Perryville, the Missouri state champion. Illinois won 3-0 over Indiana.
Girard plays South Dakota (0-3) tonight at 8. Games tonight at 6 pair Omaha Keystone, Neb. (0-3) vs. Iowa, Kentucky vs. Wisconsin (1-2) and Missouri (0-3) vs. Indiana (1-2).
