Republic took advantage of ten Neosho walks, and Taylor Gold knocked in two runs, as the Lady Tigers won their district opener 5-1 Wednesday.
Rachel Rook did not allow an earned run in seven innings of work. She struck out six and walked four, and allowed only four hits.
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The Lady Tigers broke on top in the 3rd inning. Angel Serles led off with a walk, Abby Norris reached on an error, and they advanced a base on a wild pitch. Gold then smacked a double, scoring both runners. A single by Morgan Cantrell and an error by Neosho allowed Gold to score, making the score 3-0.
After Neosho scored its lone run on a passed ball in the top of the 4th, Republic added two insurance runs in the 5th. Norris stole home on the front end of a double steal, with Gold stealing second, to give the Lady Tigers a 4-1 lead. Caty Eby walked with the bases loaded later in the inning to make it 5-1.
Republic advances to the district semifinals, where they will meet Webb City Thursday at 7 p.m. The other semifinal will pit top-seeded McDonald County against fourth-seeded Joplin.
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