Jackson girls, PB boys gain SEMO titles

Jackson's girls, led by nine first-place finishes, dethroned Central at the SEMO Conference track and field meet Friday at the Abe Stuber Track & Field Complex on the Southeast Missouri State University campus.

Jackson finished with 93 points, nine points ahead of Central (82). Poplar Bluff (66) and Sikeston (31) rounded out the field.

Poplar Bluff (84) won the boys title, followed by Sikeston (80), Central (73) and Jackson (36).

Jackson's girls won the 400, 800 and 1,600 relays and were victorious in six individual events. Trisha Kluesner won the 100 and 300 hurdles, while Heather West claimed the triple jump and long jump. Nicole Fadler added a victory in the 3,200, and Rachel Lowes won the 400.

Jennifer Pancoast won both the 800 and 1,600 for Central and was a member of the winning 3,200 relay team. Teammates Vicki Wilson (100) and Ashley Colon (shot put) also won individual events.

Anthony Harris was a double winner for Central's boys, claiming the long jump and triple jump. Also for Central, Cody Beaton won the high jump, Calen Wills won the 400 and Darren Neels claimed the discus.

James Fortner won the 110 hurdles for Jackson, while Isaac Venable won the 800 and Stuart McIntosh was victorious in the pole vault.

BASEBALL

Woodland Tournament

Third-seeded Bell City advanced to today's championship game of the Woodland Optimist Tournament with a pair of victories in Marble Hill, Mo.

Bell City (10-3) first defeated No. 6 Meadow Heights, then knocked off second-seeded Woodland 3-2. Both games were five innings in accordance to the tournament format.

Zac McIntyre collected three RBIs in the win over Meadow Heights, while teammate Darrell Bailey added a fourth-inning home run. Jack Daniels (2-1) picked up the win, allowing four hits. Kevin Statler allowed four hits and suffered the loss for Meadow Heights.

The Cubs then rallied past Woodland in the semifinals on a two-out, two-run single by McIntyre in the top of the fifth inning. Bell City had loaded the bases in the fifth on two walks and a hit batter. The hit was just one of two allowed by losing pitcher Luke Johnson.

Ben Duncan (4-1) notched the win, giving up four hits. Johnson had half of Woodland's hits, going 2-for-3 with a double.

The other half of the bracket will play today with No. 4 Bismarck and No. 5 Oak Ridge meeting in a first-round game at 9 a.m. The winner will face top-seeded Leopold at 10:45 a.m. with the winner of that game facing Bell City in the 4 p.m. championship game.

Notre Dame 16, South Pemiscot 2

Notre Dame scored 14 runs in the fourth inning and won at home in five innings.

Jeff Brosey picked up the win for the Bulldogs (14-6). Matt Wulfers led the offensive explosion, going 3-for-3. Wulfers scored three runs and hit his ninth home run. Keith Seyer added a pair of singles. Dustin Tatum and Matt Smith each homered for Notre Dame.

Jackson 12, Kennett 7

Jackson rallied from a 7-6 deficit in the fifth inning to post a road win.

Jackson (9-10) led 3-1 after two innings and built a 5-1 lead going into the bottom of the fourth. Kennett responded with four runs in the fourth and with two runs in the fifth for a 7-6 lead. Austin McDowell's two-run single helped spark a two-out rally in the sixth that put Jackson ahead 10-6.

Jason Owen pitched two-thirds of an inning to get the win. McDowell pitched the final two innings for the save. Jason Meystedt led the offense with three hits, including a home run. McDowell, Owen, Tim Stearns and Tyler Beussink had two hits apiece for Jackson.

Oran 15, Dexter 6

Oran bashed five home runs to cruise past visiting Dexter.

Nathan Seyer hit a home run for the third straight game and went 2-for-5. Tyler Cookson went 4-for-4 with two home runs, a double and four RBIs. Joey Bickings was 2-for-4 with a home run, double and four RBIs. Trevor Irwin added the other home run and had three RBIs. Patrick Friga was 4-for-4 with two RBIs for the Eagles. Tyler Nelson got the win.

OTHER EVENTS

Central swept Notre Dame in junior varsity and freshman baseball Friday. The JV Tigers beat Notre Dame 7-3 behind two hits apiece from Ty Craft and Jeff Beard. Corey Huskey got the win for Central.

In the freshman game, Tyler Bruce threw a one-hitter and Central shut out the Bulldogs 7-0. Lance Young and Phil Brotherton had two hits apiece for Central.

-- From staff reports