Republic opened the Class 5 District 5 softball tournament with a 15-5 victory over Springfield Glendale on Thursday. The Lady Tigers (22-9) jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, ending the game via run rule in five innings.
Addie Brown led Republic’s offense, going 4-for-4 with four runs scored. Lilli Richerson contributed a 3-for-3 performance with four RBIs. Sammi Watson hit a grand slam, while Ashland Schaumann added a home run and three RBIs.
Republic scored seven runs in the first inning, setting the tone for the game. After Glendale answered with three runs in the top of the second, Republic added two more in the bottom half to push their lead to 9-3. A five-run fourth inning extended the advantage to 14-3 before Republic closed out the game in the fifth.
Piper Dishman started in the circle for Republic, allowing three runs on two hits over two innings while striking out four. Kara Goeke finished the game, striking out six in three innings of work.
Despite having beaten Glendale handily earlier in the season, Republic’s players remained focused on the task at hand.
“(Coaches) told us to not be overconfident and to stay within ourselves because Glendale definitely wanted to beat us,” Shaumann said. “If we got ahead of ourselves, things could have turned out differently, so we had to stay within ourselves and compete as a team.”
Watson’s grand slam in the fourth inning put the game out of reach. “Right before that, Coach Stolte said we needed four to run-rule, and I was up to bat, and the bases were loaded, and I knew I was going to hit it hard,” she said.
The win sets up a semifinal matchup with Ozark, who defeated Republic earlier in the season.
“It’s going to feel like a new game because it was the first team we played (in the conference), and we lost 0-10,” Schaumann said. “I think that during that first game… our hitting wasn’t there, and we didn’t show up, but now I think with the energy on the field and in the dugout, that we have a chance to go to the championship.”
To get into the title game, Republic will have to get by Ozark Saturday at 3 pm at Kickapoo High School.
