SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS: KELLY RIPS E. CARTER, ADVANCES TO QUARTERS

BENTON, Mo. -- The Lady Hawks softball team cruised to an easy 7-0 first-round win over East Carter County at Kelly High School on Wednesday.

A stellar three-hit pitching performance by Marissa Essner led Kelly (19-2) to victory and into the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs. Kelly will face either Clopton or Fatima on Saturday at Ballwin.

Essner mixed an overpowering fastball with a baffling offspeed pitch to keep the Lady Redbirds (11-4) off balance all day. She struck out 11 and walked none.

Natalie Lewer relieved in the bottom of the seventh and set down East Carter in order with two strikeouts.

The Lady Hawks wasted no time getting on the board, despite facing a junkballer that they were obviously unaccustomed to seeing. The slow stuff had the Lady Hawks out in front on most pitches, hitting a lot of balls to the foul side of third base.

"I wasn't expecting the pitching we faced today," said Kelly coach Melanie Heuring, "but I thought we adjusted pretty well considering we're not used to that style."

In the top of the first inning, leadoff hitter Lewer laid down a bunt single and advanced to second on a balk called on East Carter pitcher Ericka Julian. Dana Essner drew a walk to bring clean-up hitter Bridgett Riley to the plate. Riley delivered with a long double over the centerfielder's head to drive Lewer home and move Essner to third. Essner came home on a wild pitch to stake the Lady Hawks to an early 2-0 lead.

Riley, Megan Beggs and Nicole Kern in the third inning rapped three straight singles following a walk to Marissa Essner to send home two runs and increase Kelly's lead to 4-0.

The Lady Hawks padded their lead with two runs in the fourth and a single run in the seventh.

Leading Kelly's 13-hit offensive attack was Riley. She went 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Lewer, Dana Essner and designated hitter Allison Johnson chipped in with two hits apiece.

East Carter catcher Briana Reynolds stroked two of her team's three hits.