Advance, Dexter to settle SCAA championship

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- It will be No. 1 Advance against No. 3 Dexter in the championship game of the Stoddard County Activities Association (SCAA) softball tournament after both teams came through with impressive semifinal wins Tuesday at Bloomfield.

Advance used pitching and defense as much as the bats to take a 9-0 win over No. 4 Bernie, while Dexter outlasted No.. 2 Woodland for a 13-8 win in semifinal play.

"I'm ecstatic," Dexter coach Leonard Morse said after the win, his team's fifth in a row. "There's no way around it. I think we've finished fourth in this tournament the last three years and to know we're in the finals... and we did it by beating a very good Woodland team. We had to earn it."

"The girls came out and they were hitting and was played some of the best defense we've played all season."

Dexter (8-4) and Woodland went back-and-forth in the early innings, but both teams refused to fold.

"They didn't get rattled there in the early innings when we were going back and forth with the runs," Morse said of his team. "Our girls finally just settled it. They said enough is enough. I'm proud of them. Our girls played real well and they earn this win that's for sure. Hats off to Woodland. That's a good team over there."

Woodland jumped out to a 2-0 led in the bottom of the first, but Dexter answered with three in the second only to have the Lady Cardinals bounced back with three more of their own.

A four-run third pushed Dexter out front 7-6 after Woodland tacked on a single tally in the bottom of the frame. Dexter made the lead stand up from their adding a single run in the fourth, two more in the fifth and three in the top of the seventh for some needed breathing room.

Woodland never gave in and added a single run in the sixth to make it a 10-7 game, but after the Lady 'Cats moved the advantage to 13-7 in the top of the seventh, Dexter pitcher Becky Anderson was up to the challenge and nailed down the win by allowing just one run in the bottom of the inning.

"When we needed it she was there for us," Morse said of Anderson. "I hate the fact that she threw so many pitches but we do have a day off tomorrow, so we don't have to worry about throwing her until Thursday. Obviously I'm not going to work her to hard tomorrow in parctice.

"She shows what a senior is all about," Morse continued. "She has that leadership. She doesn't get to down on herself and she's able to right the ship when you think it is going to teeter over. She's right there with it. I'm proud of her. She's a competitor and she did a great job tonight."

Bernie stayed with the top-seeded Lady Hornets in the early going before Advance scored three times in the fourth to pad a one-run lead. Advance added five in the bottom of the sixth to blow the game open.

Advance allowed Bernie just two hits while playing a solid defensive game.

"It's going to be every bit the game this one was tonight," Morse said of his team's upcoming challenge against Advance. "Their pitcher throws a little harder than Woodland's from what I saw of the Bernie game. She's similar to this (Woodland's) pitcher, she's going to be around the plate. So if we pay attention to that and don't get rattled...

"Advance is a good team," Morse added. "They've only lost one game this season. So we're hoping we can make it number two. But if we do it is because we come through with our defense and we hit. The girls showed tonight they are capable of doing that against a good team.

The SCAA tournament's third place game between Woodland and Bernie will get underway Thursday at 4, followed by the championship game between Advance and Dexter at approximately 5:30.