The No. 3 seed North Callaway Ladybirds squeezed out just three hits in a season-ending 3-0 loss to the top-seeded Centralia Lady Panthers in the Class 2, District 11 softball championship Saturday at Hickman High School.
North Callaway (18-5) trailed 3-0 in the top of the seventh inning when junior first baseman Madison Ausfahl led off with a single. Junior left fielder Karlie Popp reached on an error, bringing the tying run to the plate in junior designated player Taylor Wiseman.
Wiseman popped out, as did junior third baseman Shannon Haley. Freshman left fielder Meagan Talley then lined out to the pitcher to end the contest.
Centralia (24-3) scored once in the bottom of the third, then added two runs in the fourth.
Ausfahl reached base three times, finishing 1-for-2 with a walk. Talley and senior catcher Kaysey Huddleston both went 1-for-3.
Senior starter Danielle Cassidy (11-4) allowed three earned runs on seven hits in the complete-game loss for the Ladybirds. Cassidy struck out five and walked two.
Earlier Saturday, the Ladybirds advanced to the title game with a 6-1 semifinal win over the No. 2 seed Westran Lady Hornets.
North Callaway scored all of its runs in the sixth on four hits, while cashing in on a pair of Westran errors.
The Lady Hornets (19-4) scored their run in the fourth. Ausfahl put the Ladybirds on top 2-1 in the sixth when she reached base on an error that allowed senior shortstop Elaine Brinker to score.
Popp added a two-run single in the inning, while Huddleston added an RBI triple.
Huddleston finished 1-for-3 with a run scored as North Callaway tallied six hits. Popp was also 1-for-3 and Ausfahl went 1-for-4 with a double.
Cassidy struck out 10 in going the distance for the victory. She allowed an unearned run on four hits and issued a pair of walks.
"It was a great season with a great bunch of girls," Ladybirds head coach Brandi Thomsen said. "Today, in both games, they never quit. Even in the last inning, they were up on the fence screaming for their teammates."