Kelly, E.P. advance in district

Kelly's Mindy Robert slides safely past Neelyville pitcher Tiffany Smith.

POPLAR BLUFF - The Kelly Lady Hawks and the East Prairie Lady Eagles softball teams both posted victories in the Class 2, District 1 Tournament on Thursday.

Kelly defeated Neelyville 15-0 in three innings while East Prairie routed East Carter 14-4 in six innings.

Kelly and East Prairie will meet today at 1 p.m. for the district championship.

Kelly (18-10) scored four runs in the bottom of the first and then exploded for nine runs in the second to put the game away.

"Both days the girls have come out and really stepped up to the plate and pounded the ball," said Kelly coach Rhonda Ratledge. "Both games we've scored 15 runs in the first three innings. We're not just getting singles. We're getting doubles and triples and a lot of extra-base hits."

East Prairie catcher Talia Thurman tags out East Carter's Holly Dalton.

Kelly pounded out seven extra-bast hits in the game. Brittany Ponder was 2-3 with three RBIs. Mindy Robert had two triples with two RBIs. Casey Kern was 2-3 with one RBI, including two doubles.

Kern was also the winning pitcher, throwing three innings and allowing just one hit with four strikeouts. Kern is 11-4 on the mound this season.

"Kern did a good job both days getting the ball across the plate," said Ratledge. "Those that did put it in play, we've been playing defense. We turned a double play today. They feel really confident right now."

Kelly 15, Neelyville 0

NEELYVILLE (6-6) ---- Gray, ss 2-0-0-0. Prosise, cf 1-0-1-0. Smith, p 1-0-0

-0. Parish 3b/p 1-0-0-0. McDaniel, c 1-0-0-0. Faughn, 1b 1-0-0-0. Rollins, 2b

1-0-0-0. Fowler, rf 1-0-0-0. Callow, lf 1-0-0-0. Totals 10-0-1-0.

KELLY (18-10) ---- Ponder, 3b 3-2-2-3. Brantley, dp 1-2-1-2. Hughes, 2b 2

-2-1-1. Robert, 1b 2-2-2-2. Kern, p 3-2-2-1. Proctor, c 1-1-1-1. Tetley, lf 1-2-0-1. Vetter, rf 3-1-0-0. Moore, ss 2-1-1-0. Totals 18-15-9-11. 2B: Brantley, Kern 2, Proctor. 3B: Robert 2. SB: Ponder, Brantley, Hughes, Robert, Proctor. SAC: Brantley

POPLAR BLUFF - East Prairie (9-4) fell behind 2-0 in the first inning but scored five runs in the third and two more in the fourth to lead 7-2. East Carter cut the lead to 7-4, but the Lady Eagles ripped off seven runs in the top of the sixth inning to enforce the 10-run rule.

East Prairie got three hits apiece out of Lydia Thomure and Talia Thurman. Both also had three RBIs apiece.

Thomure threw six innings and allowed four runs (two earned) off five hits. She struck out six and walked four. Kim Sprinkles also collected three hits for East Prairie.

East Prairie 14, East Carter 4

East Prairie (9-4) ---- Thomure, p 4-3-3-3. Thurman, c 4-2-3-3. Triplett, 1b 3-2-1-0. Marcum, 3b 3-2-1-2.

Britt, 2b 3-0-0-1. Maynard, cf 4-1-1-2. Sprinkles, rf 4-1-3-1. Branam, lf 4

-1-1-0. Woodward, ss 3-2-1-0.

Totals 32-14-14-12.

EAST CARTER (10-3) ---- Dalton, cf 4-0-0-0. Bowman, ss 3-2-1-0. Ziegler, 3b 2-1-1-0. Moeckli, c 4-1-1-1. Perryman, rf 4-0-0-0. Eudaley, dp 4-0-1-2. Stephens, 1b 3-0-0-0. Brooks, lf 4-0-0-0. Ritchey, 2b 3-0-1-0. Totals 31

-4-5-3.

2B: Triplett, Branum, Bowman. 3B: Thomure 2, Marcum.

SB: Thomure, Thurman, Dalton. SF: Britt.