From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
The Blue Springs High School softball team outlasted Webb City 5-2 in eight innings on Saturday to win the JSA Paige Neal/Christina Freeman Memorial Tournament.
Blue Springs and Webb City, scoreless through seven innings, won their respective Pool A and Pool B with 4-0 records in the tourney hosted by Joplin High School.
Blue Springs’ Kelsey Kessler, a freshman right-hander, struck out 13 in checking Webb City in the title contest at Missouri Southern.
Neosho beat Seneca 5-1 for third, Hillcrest nipped McDonald County 4-3 for fifth, Carl Junction defeated Park Hill South 5-1 for seventh and Joplin clipped Raymore-Peculiar 3-1 for ninth.
Joplin junior right-hander Mary Ann Greer limited Ray-Pec to five hits.
“We had some outstanding defense in this game,” Eagle coach Kirk Harryman said. “We made the routine plays, and Jessica Cashion also made a diving catch in right field.”
In Saturday’s pool games, Blue Springs handled Joplin 11-0, Carl Junction stopped Ray-Pec 2-0, Seneca beat Park Hill South 3-2 and Hillcrest nudged Diamond 8-7 in eight innings.
Friday’s results: Blue Springs 10, Park Hill South 1; Ray-Pec 4, Hillcrest 1; Blue Springs 7, Seneca 0; Neosho 12, Hillcrest 2; Seneca 6, Joplin 1; Neosho 9, Ray-Pec 1; McDonald County 7, Park Hill South 0; Webb City 10, Diamond 1; McDonald County 9, Joplin 2; Webb City 4, Carl Junction 0.
Blue Springs’ Kaylea Smith, on second base because of the International tiebreaker rule, snapped the deadlock against Webb City by scoring on a wild pitch and Ashtin Stephens’ two-out single.
Mackenzie Sykes’ single and a walk set up Amanda Self’s three-run double. Lauren Eisenreich doubled home Self.
Said Webb City coach Walter Resa: “We had a couple of opportunities early against Kessler. But she did a good job of moving the ball around.
“This was a great opening tournament for us,” Resa said. “It was a good test for us (in the final) against an outstanding team in Blue Springs.”
Webb City, Class 3 champion in 2007, has moved up to Class 4 to join Blue Springs.
Webb City senior Nicole Hudson struck out 14 in beating Carl Junction on Friday. Freshman right-hander Laney Kneib struck out 12 in the pool win against Diamond.
Joplin coach Kirk Harryman said that the Four Seasons Complex, because of rain, was used during the tourney.
