North Callaway junior second baseman Madison Ausfahl's eighth-inning single drove in the decisive tally to vault the Ladybirds to a 2-1 season-opening win over the Sturgeon Lady Bulldogs on Monday evening.
North Callaway senior shortstop Elaine Brinker led off the bottom of the eighth with a triple. Senior catcher Kaysey Huddleston followed with a walk before Ausfahl's base hit scored Brinker to end the game.
The Ladybirds broke a scoreless tie in the fourth on an RBI single by junior third baseman Karlie Popp that plated junior pinch-runner Teagan Stubblefield. North Callaway committed three errors, two of which came in the bottom of the seventh inning to allow the Lady Bulldogs to tie the game.
Cassidy struck out nine in picking up the complete-game win. She surrendered an unearned run on three hits while walking four.
The Ladybirds finished with eight hits, sparked by 2-for-4 efforts from Ausfahl and Brinker. Huddleston, Cassidy, Popp and junior first baseman Taylor Wiseman all went 1-for-3.
"It was a shaky start and we can only go up from here," North Callaway head coach Brandi Thomsen said.
Sturgeon's Mariah Williams struck out eight in matching Cassidy's complete-game effort. Williams allowed two earned runs on eight hits and two walks.
The Ladybirds play at rival South Callaway at 5 p.m. today.