Monett’s defense of its state softball championship got off to a rough start, thanks to the Republic Lady Tigers. Republic scored six runs in the fourth inning to come from behind and beat Monett 7-5 in the season opener for both teams in Republic Friday.
Avery Romans picked up the win, pitching 6 1/3 innings and allowing five runs (four earned). Monett banged out 13 hits against Romans, but she mostly kept the Cubs in check, pitching out of trouble several times. In the sixth inning, Monett put a runner on third base with nobody out, but Romans coaxed three consecutive groundouts–all to shortstop Kaitlyn Ragsdale–to work out of trouble.
Livi Collier had two base hits and an RBI for the Lady Tigers. Julia Higgins drove in two runs. Ragsdale also had two hits, and stole two bases. Megan Weis, AJ Fenske, Megan Thorne, and Emma White also collected hits for Republic.
In the seventh inning, Monett threatened one last time, trailing by two runs. A double and a single to lead off the inning put the tying runs aboard, but Higgins threw out a runner trying to steal. After Romans walked the next batter, Fenske came in to pitch. She retired the last two hitters to pick up the save.