KELLY WORKS FOR TITLE NO. 12

SUM: Lady Hawks edge East Carter to keep string of district softball championships alive.

BENTON -- After enduring a regular season loaded with conference foes like Cape Girardeau Central and Jackson, Kelly High's softball team usually enjoys a leisurely romp through the Class 2A, District 1 Tournament.

"Usually the district is always something that we kind of joked around about and blew through," said Kelly shortstop Jennifer McNiell.

"We've pretty well blown each team out (in district tournaments)," first baseman Tiffany Glastetter said.

On Tuesday, Kelly's opponent spiced things up a bit.

Despite blowing a six-run lead and committing seven errors, No. 1 Kelly prevailed 10-8 over No. 3 seed East Carter County in the district championship game.

It was Kelly's 12th successive district title, and the toughest one for Rhonda Evans in her five seasons as Kelly's coach.

"This one definitely wasn't a gimme game," Evans said. "This was our best challenge at districts."

After Kelly (14-4) exploded in the top of the third with six runs on six hits including an RBI triple by Natalie Robert and a bases-clearing double by Andrea Heisserer, East Carter (12-4) rallied in the fourth with six runs on four hits and five Kelly errors, and tied the game 6-6.

"I was real proud of (us) coming back," said East Carter coach Julie Sievers. "(We) were determined through the whole game."

Kelly added two in the fifth on Marissa Essner's two-RBI single. East Carter answered with a run in the bottom of the inning, making the score 8-7 entering the sixth.

In the sixth, Kelly scored again on pitcher Kim Riley's RBI single. But the Lady Redbirds answered again, scoring a run to make the score 9-8 entering the final inning.

It appeared that East Carter could have tied the game in the sixth: With Martha Stahl on second, Kara Phillips drove a pitch into right field, but Sievers held Stahl at third although Glastetter, Kelly's first baseman, cut right fielder Brandy Hamm's throw and didn't immediately fire home.

Kelly scored for the third straight inning in the seventh: the would-be third out rolled through the legs of Stahl, East Carter's second baseman, allowing Marissa Essner to score after doubling.

Needing two runs, the Lady Redbirds got runners on first and second with one out, but Riley got a strike out and an infield pop up to escape.

"I never expected (East Carter) to be as good as they were," said third baseman Pam Essner. "They came out hitting."

Kelly had 14 hits; East Carter totaled 13. For Kelly, Riley went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and Marissa Essner, Ashley Beggs and Brandy Hamm each had two hits. Allison Kingree, Stahl, Heather Bishop, Monique Thompson and Mandy Moffitt each had two hits for the Lady Redbirds.

The Lady Hawks' Riley pitched all seven innings and struck out three while walking three. East Carter's Kara Phillips also pitched a complete game, and struck out three and walked three as well.

"This is our 12th year in a row (to win the district), and nobody wants to be the one to lose it," said McNiell. "Today it didn't look too good for a little while -- we had a bunch of errors -- but we're going to work on it in practice until our game on Saturday (the sectional game in which Kelly's opponent has yet to be determined)."