CENTRALIA - North Callaway junior Madison Ausfahl drove in four runs and scored three times Wednesday night, helping fuel the No. 3 seed Ladybirds' 14-4 victory over No. 6 Father Tolton in first-round play at the Class 2, District 11 Tournament.
The game was called on the 10-run rule after five innings.
Ausfahl - who started on the mound and later moved to first base - went 2-for-3 with two doubles and walked once as North Callaway (17-4) erupted for 13 hits. Tolton (12-10) took a quick lead, scoring twice in the top of the first, but the Ladybirds answered with three runs in their half of the inning to take the lead for good.
North Callaway followed with a six-run outburst in the second to stretch its lead to 9-2. The Lady Trailblazers tacked on their other two runs in the third, while the Ladybirds put up four in the fourth and one in the fifth to close out the scoring.
Senior catcher Kaysey Huddleston finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and scored twice for North Callaway, while junior second baseman Karlie Popp was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Freshman left fielder Meagan Talley also went 2-for-4 with an RBI and scored two times, and junior center fielder Patri Eckert finished 2-for-2 with a double, two runs scored and a walk. Junior designated player Taylor Wiseman was 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Senior Danielle Cassidy threw 2 2/3 perfect innings in relief of Ausfahl to pick up the win. Cassidy (10-3) retired all eight batters she faced, striking out five. Ausfahl allowed four runs - two earned - and five hits in 3 1/3 innings, with three strikeouts and no walks.
"It was a good team effort," Ladybirds head coach Brandi Thomsen said. "Everybody who dressed out got into the game, either offensively or defensively."
North Callaway moves on to a semifinal showdown against No. 2 seed Westran at 6:30 tonight.