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Sophomores shine in starring roles for Ozark and Nixa in semifinal victories

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SPRINGFIELD — Still not quite halfway through their Ozark careers, sophomores Audrey Carlton and Natalie Morgan are building quite a post-season resume.

Carlton sent a titanic three-run home run far over the left-field fence and Morgan ripped a two-run double to highlight the Lady Tigers’ 9-1 Class 5 District 5 semifinal win versus Joplin on Wednesday.

It was Carlton’s second Districts homer in as many years and for Morgan, returning to Springfield Central’s field brings back memories of her game-winning hit at this juncture a year ago.

It’s very easy for one to forget or assume Carlton and Morgan are seniors and not just sophomores.

“Some people might think, ‘Oh, this is their second year of varsity so they’re probably juniors or seniors,’” Carlton said. 

Call them seasoned sophomores. They responded well to post-season pressure last year, but were actuallty still typical wide-eyed freshmen.

“Last year at this time, I feel I was in my head a lot,” Carlton said. “But this year I’m more comfortable and. relaxed. As a freshman last year and playing Districts for the first time in my life, I was a little shocked at times.” 

“I feel like last season was so far away. It feels like I’ve played so much since then,” Morgan said. “I feel so much more relaxed now. Last year, I was thinking, ‘Oh, Districts, these are big games,’ and you stressed yourself out because it was your first time. This year, there are no nerves.”

Ozark took a 1-0 lead against Joplin in the first inning and broke things open in the third.

Carlton popped out in the infield her first at-bat, but blasted her home run in her second at-bat.  

“I don’t know if it was because of how she was pitching, but I was late in my first at-bat,” Carlton said. “So, I was telling myself to get my (front) foot down on time. I tried to make it happen. When I saw the ball, I was thinking, ‘This is going to be a good pitch to hit.’”

Carlton’s home run only needed a couple bounces to reach Central’s baseball fence, some 300 feet from home plate. 

“I’ve had some far ones, but that one was really far,” she said.

Savannah Hughes followed up with a solo home run, one of her two hits on the day.

Morgan made it 7-1 with a line shot to the right-center fence that plated a pair of runs in the fourth.

She smoked an 0-2 offering.

“I was thinking it was going to be either a changeup or an inside pitch and it was inside,” Morgan said. “I turned early and squared it.” 

Wining pitcher Jordyn Foley overwhelmed Joplin hitters  at times and secured Ozark’s 13th straight win by blanking the Lady Eagles through six innings.  The only run Foley allowed was unearned.

The District final Friday will be a rematch of last year’s championship game. 

Nixa tuned in late fireworks for the second straight night, as the Lady Eagles downed Kickapoo 4-3 in 10 innings in the other semifinal Wednesday.

Rylee Harper, a sophomore herself, delivered a game-winning RBI-single with one out in the 10th. The sophomore was 3-for-5 on the night.

Sara Sweaney continued her torrid pace at the plate. She had a pair of hits, including a three-run home run in the third.

Sweaney has three homers and 10 RBIs against Kickapoo alone this season. Overall, she has 51 hits and 39 RBIs.

Winning pitcher Maddy Meierer was her usual highly-effective self. She scattered nine hits and struck out nine. Only one Kickapoo run was earned.

Meierer shut out Kickapoo over the last five innings.


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