From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Nicole Hudson held Kearney to two hits Saturday in sparking Webb City to a 3-0 shutout and the championship of the Carthage Sportsworld Classic Softball Tournament.
Hudson struck out 11 and walked none as the Cardinals hiked their record to 23-3.
Webb City reached the final earlier Saturday by nipping Chillicothe 1-0 in eight innings. Under international rules, a runner (in this case, Shelby Stuck) was placed on second base to start the eighth. After Stuck was sacrificed to third and with two out, Brooklyn Farrell singled to drive home the decisive run.
In the other semifinal, Kearney nudged McDonald County 1-0.
Chillicothe defeated McDonald County 2-0 for third place and Carthage toppled Platte County 3-1 for fifth.
Webb City seeded first in district
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Top-seeded Webb City has received a bye in the first round of the Class 4 District 12 high school softball tournament, which gets under way Thursday at Fair Acres Sports Complex.
The Thursday schedule will find second-seeded Neosho taking on seventh-seeded Springfield Central and No. 3 Carthage meeting sixth-seeded Springfield Hillcrest at 4:30 p.m., then No. 4 Joplin meeting fifth-seeded Willard at 6 p.m.
Semifinals on Friday will match Webb City and the Joplin-Willard winner at 2 p.m. and the Neosho-Central winner against the Carthage-Hillcrest survivor at 3:30.
The championship game will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday.
The winner will advance to the sectional tournament Oct. 15 for District 11 and 12 teams.
