Kelly softball bounces back from opening loss

Kelly, the defending Class 2 state champion, bounced back from a season-opening loss to Chaffee with a 7-1 win over Malden on the road Thursday.

Freshman pitcher Casey Kern pitched five innings for the win. Kern came in for starter Meghan Tetley, who pitched the first two innings. In relief, Kern allowed three hits, struck out four and walked one. Tetley allowed a run on one hit and one strikeout.

Brittany Ponder had four of Kelly's 11 hits, and Kern added two hits and two RBIs. Ashley Vetter had three RBIs, and Mindy Robert added an RBI triple.

Kelly will be off a week before returning to action against Central.

Kelly 7, Malden 1

Kelly 103 201 0 -- 7 11 3

Malden 010 000 0 -- 1 4 5

WP -- Casey Kern, 1-0. LP -- Grooms. 2B -- Kern (K). 3B -- Mindy Robert (K). Multiple hits -- Kelly, Brittany Ponder 4-4; Kern 2-4. Records -- Kelly 1-1.

Chaffee 11, East Prairie 1, 5 innings

Chaffee took advantage of seven first-inning walks from East Prairie and scored all 11 of its runs in the opening frame in a home win.

Whitney Horrell had some trouble figuring out the umpire's strike zone as well -- she walked six in five innings -- but struck out six and allowed only one hit for the win. Horrell also drove in two runs.

Kegan Orr added a three-run single as Chaffee (2-1) had six hits.

East Prairie 000 10 -- 1 1 1

Chaffee (11)00 0X -- 11 6 2

WP -- Whitney Horrell, 1-1. LP -- Lydia Thomuir. Records -- Chaffee 2-1.

GIRLS TENNIS

Kennett 5, Jackson 4

Jessica Drum, Alynda Lane, Sarah Detring and Ellyn Beil all picked up singles wins, but Jackson (1-2) was swept in doubles and lost on the road.

Jackson's JV won 13-5.

Singles: 1. Jessica Drum (J) def. Susanne Carter 8-5; 2. Katie Potts (K) def. Shannon Cobb 8-2; 3. Alynda Lane (J) def. Christina Dewrock 8-6; 4. Sarah Detring (J) def. Kaitlyn Gary 8-6; 5. Brooke Burcham (K) def. Sarah Hinkebein 9-7; 6. Ellyn Beil (J) def. Susan Shetley 8-1

Doubles: 1. Carter-Dewrock (K) def. Drum-Lane 8-5; 2. Potts-Gary (K) def. Cobb-Hinkebein 8-6; 3. Burcham-Shetley (K) def. Detring-Beil 8-6

JV winners

Singles: Erinne Haff, Maura Neader, Kami Miinch, Maddie Rupke, Ashley Sneathen, Amber Terry, Charly Fausett, Rachel Batz, Emily Hoffman, Alison Keiper

Doubles: Haff-Neader, Rupke-Kami Miinch, Keiper-Katie Miinch

-- From staff reports