Nixa upped its season home run total to 16 by blasting six homers over the weekend, but the Lady Eagles dropped four of five games at the Ozark’s Fall Festival.
Kaylee Schlenker and Dakota Hale homered in Nixa’s lone win, an 8-0 whipping of Excelsior Springs. Winning pitcher Paige Gerston picked up her first varsity win by firing a three-hit shutout.
The Lady Eagles (7-4) lost 8-6 to Rolla, bowed to Marquette 6-4 and fell to Smithville 5-2 in pool play Friday. Poplar Bluff beat Nixa 7-6 in bracket play Saturday.
Schlenker and Hale homered twice during the tourney, while Sara Sweaney and Phoebe Gardner each hit one homer.
Gardner, who has hit safely in all 11 games on the season, was 7-for-18 with eight RBIs during the tourney. She has a team-best .564 batting average (22-for-39) and has reached base in 28 of her 43 plate appearances.
Sweaney has five home runs and 16 RBIs, both team-highs.
Schlenker is hitting .365 with three homers and a team-high 14 runs scored while hitting out of the nine-hole.
