Delta advances to final to face Naylor, which ousted Chaffee

Delta set up a rematch with Naylor in the Class 1 District 1 softball final with a 13-3 five-inning victory against Thayer in the semifinals Thursday at Naylor.

The championship game is set for 3 p.m. today. Delta lost to Naylor last year after winning the previous three district titles.

The top-seeded Bobcats (13-12) scored four runs in the first inning and nine in the third to wrap up the win.

Sarah Cook struck out eight, walked two and allowed two earned runs for the win. Kaci Menz led Delta with three hits, and Cook added two hits.

Naylor advanced to the final by defeating No. 2 Chaffee 1-0 in eight innings. Chaffee (7-6) freshman Sarah Benton allowed only two hits, but the second was a home run with two outs in the eighth. Sarah Dooley had two of Chaffee's three hits.

Delta 13, Thayer 3, 5 innings

Thayer 100 02 -- 3 3 2

Delta 409 0X -- 13 7 2

WP -- Sarah Cook, 13-9. 2B -- Kaci Menz (D). Multiple hits -- Delta, Menz 3-3, Cook 2-4. Records --Delta 13-12.

Naylor 1, Chaffee 0, 8 innings

Naylor 000 000 01 -- 1 2 0

Chaffee 000 000 00 -- 0 3 0

LP -- Sarah Benton. HR -- Smith (N). Multiple hits --Chaffee, Sarah Dooley 2-4. Records -- Chaffee 7-6.

Class 2 District 1

Top-seeded Kelly had no trouble advancing to the finals of the Class 2 District 1 tournament in Perryville, routing East Prairie 15-0 in three innings despite having just four hits.

Kelly Essner pitched a no-hitter for the Hawks, striking out seven and walking one.

She also had two hits, as did Kalie Hughes. The Hawks (19-6) took advantage of 12 walks.

The Hawks will shoot for their 18th district title in the past 19 years Saturday when they face second-seeded Valley Park (24-0) at 11 a.m. Valley Park beat host St. Vincent 3-1 in the other semifinal.

St. Vincent had beaten St. John of St. Louis 18-0 in the first round Thursday behind Val Richardet's no-hitter.

The Indians allowed two unearned runs behind pitcher Stacy Brown in the semifinal.

"She pitched a good ballgame," said St. Vincent coach John Lambert, who was coaching his final game after 10 years at the school. "We made a few mistakes, and that cost us the ballgame."

Kelly 15, East Prairie 0

East Prairie 000 -- 0 0 0

St. Vincent 87X -- 15 4 0

WP -- Kelly Essner. 2B -- Kalie Hughes (K). Multiple hits -- Kelly, Essner 2-2, Hughes 2-3. Records --Kelly, 19-6.

--From staff reports