DEXTER SLIPS PAST KELLY IN TOUGH MOUND BATTLE

BENTON, Mo. -- The high school baseball teams from Kelly and Dexter hooked up in quite a pitcher's duel Saturday.

The squads ended the regulation seven innings tied 1-1 and might have kept on going for a long time.

But visiting Dexter took advantage of three Kelly errors in the top of the ninth inning to score three unearned runs as the Bearcats squeezed out a 4-1 victory.

Each team had just three hits and Kelly was being no-hit by Jason Meyer until the seventh, when the Hawks got all three of their hits and pushed across the tying run.

Kelly hurler Justin Simpher threw a masterpiece despite suffering the loss. In 8 1/3 innings, Simpher allowed just one earned run and three hits while striking out 13 and walking five.

"It was an excellent game until we kind of broke down in the ninth," said Kelly coach Mike Scott, whose squad fell to 2-4.

SOFTBALL

Oran captures title

OAK RIDGE, Mo. -- Oran remained perfect at 5-0 by winning two games to capture the championship of Saturday's four-team Oak Ridge Tournament.

The Lady Eagles rolled past Charleston 16-3 in the finals behind the all-around stellar play of Teresa Hodges, who was the winning pitcher and went 4-for-4 with two home runs, a triple and seven runs batted in.

Ashley Dirnberger went 3-for-3 for the Lady Eagles while losing hurler Sara Duenne was 3-for-3 for Charleston.

Earlier, Oran slipped past Oak Ridge 11-7 as Hodges and Amber Seyer had homers. Oak Ridge's Julie Myers also homered.

Charleston beat Meadow Heights 16-4 in the first round as Drelle Mathis had four hits, including a homer and triple.

In the third-place game, Meadow Heights nipped Oak Ridge 12-11.

JV GIRLS SOCCER

Notre Dame takes fifth

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Notre Dame went 2-1 to take fifth place at the Carbondale (Ill.) Tournament Saturday.

The Lady Bulldogs fell 3-2 to Carbondale, then knocked off Belleville East (Ill.) 4-2 and Marion (Ill.) 2-1.

In the first game for Notre Dame (3-2-1), Megan Holloway and Keylee Ramsey both scored unassisted goals.

In the second game, Emily Essner and Emily Buehrle both had two goals and Holloway had an assist. And in the final game, Holloway had a goal and an assist, while Essner added a goal and Buehrle added an assist.

FRESHMEN BASEBALL

Cape Central sweeps

Cape Central swept a pair of games from Caruthersville Saturday, winning 7-2 and 15-3.

Jake Yarbrough got the win in the opener while Collin Schermann went 2-for-4 with three runs scored.

Tyler Klipfel notched the win in the nightcap as Patrick Slattery went 3-for-3 with three RBIs.