Eureka vs. Lafayette: District Softball Championship

The 2012 District Softball Class 4, District 3 Championship game played at Eureka High School Monday afternoon was scoreless through the third inning. It pitted the Lafayette Lancers against the Eureka Wildcats, who didn't have the opportunity to play each other during the regular season due to rain.

Then Eureka's Jessica Poore started off the fourth inning with a hit. It became the one good inning the Wildcats needed when teammate Sam Witte stepped up and hit a home run, making the game 2-0 Eureka.

During the fifth inning, the score remained 2-0 after the Wildcats left Hope Waller stranded on second base.

The Lancers got a runner, Marissa Gress, onto second base during the sixth inning. Then a teammatem Kaycee Cohen, ripped a hit down the third-base line, past Eureka's Witte, making the crowd believe Lafayette had the chance to get on the board—but the umpire called the ball foul. That batter eventually got a hit. At that point, the Lancers had two runners on base and no outs. 

Lancer Ashley Parks popped up, and was caught by Eureka's first baseman Waller. A second Lancer, Mara Worley, drove one to the mound and was caught in the air by Eureka's pitcher Maddie Krumrey. The third out for Lafayette came when the next batter, Madison Seifert, was thrown out at first base.

Eureka right away had three up, three outs in the sixth inning. The game was 2-0 Eureka going into the seventh inning, and remained that way for the final—cinching the District Softball Class 4, District 3 Championship for Eureka High School.

Krumrey allowed four base runners—two hits, a walk, and a hit batsman—while striking out seven Lafayette hitters. Lafayette pitcher Seifert took the loss for Lafayette (17-8, No. 7 in the STLhighschoolsports.com large-schools rankings).

Eureka, 18-1 season play, next will play Webster Groves, 23-1 season play, Wednesday at 4:15 p.m. in a Class 4 sectional game at Plymouth Field. Eureka defeated Webster 2-1 to win the Suburban South/West Crossover Tournament in August.

The winner of Wednesday's game advances to the Class 4 quarterfinals on Saturday against either Cape Girardeau Central or the winner of the Fox/Northwest district final.