KELLY SOFTBALL TOPS JACKSON TO CAPTURE SEMO CONFERENCE

JACKSON -- Kelly High, a Class 2A school, may be much smaller than 4A schools Jackson and Cape Central, but that didn't prevent the Lady Hawks from winning the SEMO Conference softball title this year.

With its 8-4 win over Jackson on Thursday, Kelly finished the conference 4-1. If Jackson had beaten Kelly, it, Central and Kelly would have tied for the conference title.

Kelly improved to 13-4, dropping Jackson to 14-9.

With the score tied at 2-2 after four innings, Kelly scored three in the fifth and three in sixth, while Jackson mustered just one in the seventh.

Kim Riley (8-4) earned the win. She went the distance and struck out one. Christy Teets took the loss. She allowed 13 hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Kelly totaled 15 hits. Pam Essner went 3-for-4 with an RBI, Natalie Robert 3-for-4, Ashley Biggs 2-for-4 with three RBIs, Riley 2-for-4 and Brandy Hamm 2-for-4.

For Jackson, Caroline Harper and Staci Seabaugh each had two hits and an RBI, and Jessica Sander had two hits.

Cape Central 14, Egyptian (Ill.) 6

Cape Central totaled 20 hits in its home win on Thursday.

Jessica Keys earned the victory and Kathy Michel picked up a save.

For Central (14-7), Jessica Turner had four hits, Amber Voerg and Ashlie Voerg both had three hits and four RBIs and Cassie Koch totaled three hits and three RBIs.

GIRLS TENNIS

Cape Central 9, Carutherville 0

CARUTHERSVILLE -- Cape Central moved to 11-0 in duals by sweeping Caruthersville on the road Thursday.

Central's JV won 5-0.

The Lady Tigers will seek to complete an unbeaten regular season against Sikeston at home on Monday.

Varsity results

Singles

1. Lisa Ahstrom (C) def. Erin Bullington, 8-2

2. Lara Golike (C) def. Christina Coleman, 8-0

3. Summer Chaudhari (C) def. Christie Stevens, 8-1

4. Rachelle Thomas (C) def. Laura Young, 8-0

5. Elizabeth Russell (C) def. Beth Prost, 8-0

6. Sarah Chaudhari (C) def. April Hepler, 8-2

Doubles

1. Ahstrom-Summer Chaudhari (C) def. Bullington-Coleman, 8-1

2. Golike-Thomas (C) def. Stevens-Young, 8-0

3. Russell-Julie Lessmann (C) def. Prost-Hepler, 8-2

JV winners -- Singles: Jessica Campbell, Jessica Burns, Kelly Green; Doubles: Campbell-Sarah Chaudhari, Burns-Green

Jackson 9, Sikeston 0

JACKSON -- Jackson breezed past visiting Sikeston on Thursday.

The Lady Indians improved to 11-3 in duals.

Jackson's JV won 8-3.

Varsity results

Singles

1. Lena Steinberg (J) def. Crystal Lenon, 8-0

2. Sarah Culbertson (J) def. Melissa Holley, 8-1

3. Lynn Casteel (J) def. Stephanie Childress, 8-1

4. Lauren Young (J) def. Jessica Idleman, 8-0

5. Beth Lefebvre (J) def. Stephanie Carr, 8-1

6. Emily O'Loughlin (J) def. Sarah Strom, 8-0

Doubles

1. Steinberg-Casteel (J) def. Childress-Wehner, 8-1

2. Culbertson-Young (J) def. Idleman-Carr, 8-1

3. Lefebvre-O'Loughlin (J) def. Lenon-Holley, 8-3

Jackson JV winners -- Singles: Annie Lefebvre, Addie Propst, Brooke Stephens, Maggie Martin, Jessica Seabaugh; Doubles: Lefebvre-Propst, Stephens-Melanie Cobb, Jessica Nelson-Sarah Smothers

BOYS SOCCER

Poplar Bluff 3, Cape Central 2

Cape Central's woes continued as Poplar Bluff stole a game from the Tigers at home Thursday.

Central fell to 3-10-2.

After Central headed a ball into its own goal to give the Mules a 1-0 lead, Central's Keith Benton and Bryan Welker each scored on Josh Miller assists to give the Tigers a 2-1 halftime lead.

Poplar Bluff scored twice in the last six minutes of the match and escaped with the win.

Central's JV played to a 0-0 draw.

Notre Dame 2, Jackson 2

Notre Dame's Jason Garner scored the first bicycle kick that coach Brad Wittenborn had ever seen other than in World Cup as the Bulldogs tied Jackson at home Thursday.

Notre Dame (9-2-2) trailed 2-1 late when Zach Miller scored with about three minutes left on an assist by Ryan Fenwick.

Raju Dirnberger and Nathan Windeknecht scored for Jackson (7-3-3).

Notre Dame's JV moved to 6-1-1 with its 1-0 win. Adam Obermiller scored on a Matt Bollinger assist.

CROSS COUNTRY

Central girls take 2nd at A-J

ANNA, Ill. -- Central's girls placed second and its boys third in the Anna-Jonesboro Invitational Thursday.

Notre Dame's Susan Judd completed the 2-mile course in 16:52.

For Central, Myka Bohnsack was 13th (17:24), Tobie Bittle 14th (17:25), Kristen Tallent 16th (17:27), Leanne Lee 17th (17:27) and Lori Bittle 20th (17:33).

Notre Dame's Ira Judd finished the 2.7-mile boys course in 17:48 and Robert Macklen was 16th in 18:01.

For Central, Rory Kipper was 18th (18:06), Mark Stone 21st (18:12), Gabe Austin 22nd (18:16), Matt Hawkins 23rd (18:17) and David Stahr 24th (18:18).

Perryville boys win at Chester

CHESTER, Ill. -- Tyson Brown finished first and Perryville's boys won the 14-team Chester Invitational Thursday. Kelly's boys were third.

Amy Arteme won and Kelly girls were second. Perryville placed fifth.

Brown covered the three-mile course in 16:21. Ryan Hohenadel was eighth (16:55), Nathan Davis ninth (16:58) and Nathan Moore 18th (17:32).

For Kelly, Michael Riley placed sixth (16:48), Nathen King 11th (17:12), Denver Stuckey 16th (17:28), Russ Mothershead 19th (27:24) and Chad Felter 23rd (17:56).

The Lady Pirates' Jan Hadler finished the 2.1-mile layout in 12:51. Kara Steffens was eighth (13:46) and Andrea Weibrecht ninth (14:03).

For Kelly, Arteme finished in 12:48, April Cousins was ninth (13:41), Laura Ruff 20th (14:10), Melissa Garner 21st (14:12), Megan Nelson 32nd (14:40).

VOLLEYBALL

Notre Dame 11-15-15

Jackson 15-6-12

Notre Dame dropped the first game, but rallied to beat Jackson at home on Thursday.

Notre Dame improved to 9-4-2.

For Notre Dame, Jessica Hency totaled 11 kills, Jennifer Glueck had nine kills and Erin Vickery had four solo blocks.

Chaffee 13-15-15

Charleston 15-8-7

CHARLESTON -- Chaffee dropped a close first set but bounced back to claim a victory over Charleston.

Kate Nolan led Chaffee (4-3) with 12 kills while Jennifer Siebert added six kills. Emily Siebert totaled 16 assists.

Chaffee won the JV match 15-2, 15-12.

Chaffee will visit Leopold on Monday.

Bell City 18-15

Scott City 15-2

SCOTT CITY -- Bell City improved to 17-1-1 with its win Thursday, dropping Scott City to 0-11-2.

Amy O'Brien had five assists for Scott City.

Bell City's JV won 15-1, 12-15, 15-3.

Leopold 15-15

Oran 12-8

LEOPOLD -- Leopold beat Oran in straight games at home Thursday.

Leopold, under first-year coach Leanne Huffman, improved to 14-1-1.

Leopold's JV won 15-8, 15-4 and its freshman won 15-10, 15-8.

Perryville 15-15

St. Vincent 11-4

PERRYVILLE -- Perryville beat rival St. Vincent on the road Thursday.

Perryville improved to 10-8-3, dropping St. Vincent to 6-9-2.

For Perryville, Laura Ernst had seven kills, Renee Kaempfe seven kills and three blocks, Amy Verseman 15 assists and four kills and Shannon Dreyer nine assists.

For St. Vincent, Jessica Lakeman totaled seven kills, Rachael Schnurbusch 13 digs, Stephanie Prost 11 digs and Janelle Schumer 11 digs.

Woodland 15-15

Bloomfield 6-4

MARBLE HILL -- Woodland won its second straight match Thursday at home and moved to 6-9-2.

Sarah Booth had nine kills and seven digs, Toni Cowell seven assists, Julia Cutsinger 12 assists and Dianna Lukefahr five kills and four digs.

Oak Ridge 15-15

Marquand 11-8

MARQUAND -- Oak Ridge claimed its third straight victory with a straight-set win over Marquand.

Jan McLane paced Oak Ridge (4-10-1) with seven kills and Macela Morgan tallied 26 assists.

Oak Ridge won the JV contest 19-17, 10-15, 15-7.