SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS: DELTA KEEPS FIRST SEASON ALIVE; PERRYVILLE LOSES

Delta High School's first season of fall softball will continue at least one more game as the Lady Bobcats picked up a thrilling 5-4 win over Bakersfield Wednesday in a Class 1A sectional contest played in Koshkonong, Mo.

The Lady Bobcats will play either Morrisville or Fair Play Saturday in the state quarterfinals in Ash Grove, Mo.

But Perryville's season came to an end Wednesday as the Lady Pirates suffered a 4-0 loss to St. Louis-Notre Dame in a Class 3A sectional game played in Park Hills, Mo.

Delta 5, Bakersfield 4

Delta's first venture to the playoffs featured a thrilling finish as the Lady Bobcats pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Lady Bobcats grabbed an early 4-1 lead, but Bakersfield tied it with three in the sixth. Then, in the seventh, Stephanie Dannenmueller and Rebecca Below both walked and Andrea Dohogne bunted for a single, loaded the bases with nobody out. Jessica Springer then walked to bring home the game-ending run.

"It was really exciting," said Delta coach Anne Trieb, whose team improved its record to 7-13. "The girls were going nuts."

Rebecca Cook pitched all seven innings in impressive fashion, allowing just one earned run and four hits. She struck out eight and walked three.

"She pitched a really good game," Trieb said.

Delta had 10 hits, two each by Cook, Dannenmueller, Below and Tiffany Johnson. Dannenmueller drove in two runs.

Looking ahead to Saturday, Trieb said, "Going to the quarterfinals in our first year, it's very exciting. I told the girls we've already done our major goal, which was winning districts in our first year. Everything else is icing on the cake."

Notre Dame 4, Perryville 0

Perryville, which won its third straight district title over the weekend, ended another impressive season at 18-10.

The Lady Pirates managed only three hits while Notre Dame collected 14. The Rebels, now 23-5, had defeated Perryville 7-2 during the regular season.

Notre Dame scored three unearned runs in the second inning after a potential third-out fly ball was dropped in foul territory with the bases loaded. Given new life, the Notre Dame hitter lined a double to the gap in left-center field to clear the bases.

The Lady Rebels tacked on a final run in the third.

Megan Narrow suffered the loss. She went the distance and yielded all 14 Notre Dame hits with no strikeouts and one walk.

Despite the loss, Perryville coach Lynn O'Neal was pleased with the accomplishments of his team.

"I'm proud of the kids," said O'Neal. "We took our third district title in a row and the seniors kept our winning tradition going."