SHS netters defeated in home-opener

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston High School tennis team received two singles victories and added a doubles win Thursday, but was defeated by Poplar Bluff 6-3 during its home-opener.

Jenni DeWitt and Danielle Ahlfield turned back both of their opponents in singles competition. DeWitt, at No. 1, shut out Morgan Allen 8-0 while Ahlfield, at No. 5, recorded an 8-3 decision over Jennie Hubbard.

"The wins at No. 1 and No. 5 were good ones because they both fought hard to get them," Sikeston coach Lynne DeWitt said.

"We played well today because the girls played hard up-and-down the lineup," she added.

In other singles matches, Megan Underhill (No. 2) lost to Dana Schuermann 3-8, Hannah Moore (No. 3) was defeated by Jessica Gray 2-8, Caroline Murray (No. 4) fell to Alli Poteet 2-8 and Jaccara Lampkin (No. 6) suffered a 6-8 loss to Kelsey Olson.

Sikeston high school tennis player Danielle Ahlfield

Sikeston high school tennis player Danielle Ahlfield

DeWitt and Underhill teamed at No. 1 doubles to post an 8-3 win over Allen and Schuermann. Gray and Poteet knocked off Moore and Allen 8-5 and Hubbard and Olson upended Murray and Lampkin.

The Lady Bulldogs (0-2 overall) have a duel meet at 4 p.m. Monday at Jackson.

Cape Central 9,

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Not only was the Charleston High School girls tennis team on the receiving end of a shutout Thursday, but just two Lady Bluejays players managed to score during singles competition at Cape Central.

No. 1 Jade Schwieger and No. 6 Chelsea Stallings each score one point apiece during a pair of 8-1 losses to Sarah Ford and Sami Gross, respectively.

The rest of Charleston's singles players were blanked 8-0. No. 2 Lindsey Pingel topped Jordan Duenne, No. 3 Christen Edmonds defeated Lindsay Burke, No. 4 Brook Morris turned back Mary Kate Renaud and No. 5 Kristen Lazarova upended Kayla McKenzie.

"Cape Central has a very good team," Charleston coach Seth Benton said. "Hopefully, we can improve during the next week or two before we play them again."

In doubles action, No. 1 Ford and Pingel defeated Schwiger and Burke 8-5, No. 2 Edmonds and Lazarova won against Duenne and McKenzie 8-4 and No. 3 Morris and Gross topped Renaud and Stallings 8-3.

Taylor Duenne and Gabrielle Quinn won a junior varsity match for the Lady Bluejays.

Charleston (2-1 overall) hosts Dexter on Tuesday.

SOFTBALL

Kelly 11,

Malden 0, five innings

MALDEN -- Heather Beggs pitched a two-hit shutout as the Kelly High School softball team trounced Malden on Thursday in a game that was stopped by the 10-run rule.

Beggs, who was backed by 11 runs and 12 hits, hurled five innings, striking out five and walking two.

"She did a great job of keeping the ball down," Kelly coach Rhonda Ratledge said. "When the location is down, it's easy to produce a lot of ground outs."

The Lady Hawks (3-0 overall) chipped away at Malden's defense by scoring two runs apiece in the third and fourth innings. The bats for Kelly erupted during its fifth frame, when the Lady Hawks scored seven times.

Katee Moore had a perfect game at the plate. She was 4-for-4, including three doubles, a triple and three RBIs. Londyn Backfisch, who added three hits during four at-bats, had a double, a triple and two RBIs. Ashley Flahardy added a double and drove in one run while Haley Glastetter smacked a double and knocked in one run.

Beggs was able to pitch around a first-inning double to preserve the shutout.

At 4 p.m. Tuesday, Kelly hosts Goreville, Ill.