Maddie Carter hit two home runs and drove in six runs, and Republic’s offense had the kind of game it had been missing, but Nixa had an answer every time, beating the Lady Tigers 16-14 Friday in the first round of the Class 5 District 5 tournament. Mia Carnes also homered in the season-ending loss.
Republic had scored three runs or fewer in seven of its previous nine games. Against Nixa, the Lady Tigers had 16 hits and 14 runs, their most since a 19-8 win at Lebanon on Sept. 15.
It started with Carter’s home run to center to lead off the game. Republic added five more in the second, the last three on a home run by Mia Carnes, to lead 6-0 against a team the Lady Tigers had beaten 9-8 on Sept. 10.
But Nixa scored seven in the bottom of the second to take the lead, and that was just the start of the Lady Eagles’ hitting outburst.
Republic regained the lead in the third. Kate Stulce reached on an error that scored two runs, and Carter singled to score Harper Lankford for a 9-7 lead. But Nixa scored three in the third and five more in the fourth to lead 15-9.
Carter’s three-run homer in the fifth got Republic back into the game, and Emma Ellison’s single scored Carnes to make it 15-13, before Nixa added one more. Jayma Pitchford came on to pitch the last 1 1/3 innings without allowing a run.
Game page →Kendra Goeke doubled to start the seventh, and pinch runner Lilly Worthy scored on a double by Pitchford. Myleigh Mooneyham singled to put runners on first and second with two outs, but the inning ended on a ground out with Nixa ahead 16-14.
Carter and Mooneyham were each 3-for-4. Carnes, Ellison, Goeke and Pitchford each had two hits.
The Lady Tigers finished the season 9-22-1. It was the last game for seniors Mia Carnes, Madi Chevalier, Jayma Pitchford, Kate Stulce and Maddie Taylor. Carnes hit a three-run homer and Pitchford doubled twice in the finale.
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