AUXVASSE, Mo. - The North Callaway Thunderbirds and Wellsville Tigers weren't able to outlast the elements.
North Callaway led Wellsville 11-2 with one out in the top of the fifth inning in Thursday night's Eastern Missouri Conference matchup when the game was suspended because of heavy rain, hail and lightning. The contest may be completed today, depending on field conditions.
The Thunderbirds (3-6), meanwhile, advanced to the championship of the Montgomery County Tournament with a 13-1 rout of Mark Twain on Wednesday night in Auxvasse. North Callaway will play for the title at 7 p.m. Saturday at Montgomery County, but doesn't know yet who its opponent will be.
First-round games at Montgomery County were rained out Wednesday and will be made up today. South Callaway (6-1) - ranked No. 9 in Class 3 - will face Montgomery County at 2 p.m. and then will play Clopton at 4. Montgomery County will square off against Clopton at 6.
North Callaway broke a 1-1 tie Wednesday night by tallying three runs in the top of the second inning. The Thunderbirds then put up two runs in the fourth and erupted for seven in the fifth to end the game on the 10-run rule.
Every starter finished with at least one hit as North Callaway accumulated 13. Sophomore starter Chad Maupin went 2-for-3 with two runs batted in, while junior catcher Wyatt Branson was 1-for-2 with two RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases.
Sophomore left fielder Justin Popp finished 1-for-2 with a triple for the Thunderbirds' only extra-base hit and scored two times. Senior first baseman Quintin Nichols also went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Maupin (2-1) scattered four hits, struck out eight and issued three walks in going the distance for the victory.