MOKANE - Sophomore starter Sarah Abbott tossed a two-hitter as the No. 4 seed Lady Wildcats easily subdued the No. 5 Lady Falcons in the quarterfinals of the Class 2, District 8 Tournament on Wednesday night.
New Bloomfield - which has won four straight - was in control from the start, breaking out for eight runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Lady Wildcats (13-11) added two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to end the game on the mercy rule.
Freshman third baseman Asya Nichols and freshman designated player Brooke Talbot both drove in two runs for New Bloomfield, which advances to face top-seeded Father Tolton (15-6) in the semifinals at 5 p.m. today. The Lady Wildcats were shut out by Tolton 10-0 on Sept. 10 in Columbia.
"We were disciplined at bat and hit the ball hard," New Bloomfield head coach Dara Reinkemeyer said of Wednesday night's victory. "Sarah pitched a great game. She started ahead on batters and moved the ball well."
Talbot provided a two-run single and Abbott, Nichols and freshman right fielder Rheagen Nevins each contributed RBI singles in the first for the Lady Wildcats on Wednesday night. Senior shortstop Haley Berhorst also had an RBI groundout in the inning.
New Bloomfield scored both of its runs in the fourth on one of Fayette's four errors. Nichols doubled home the Lady Wildcats' run in the fifth.
Nichols was 2-for-3 and scored twice as New Bloomfield tallied seven hits, while Talbot went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Berhorst and Nevins were both 1-for-3 and scored a run.
Abbott struck out five and allowed an unearned run in moving her season record to 10-7.
In Wednesday night's other quarterfinal, No. 6 seed Hallsville surprised the No. 3 South Callaway Lady Bulldogs 5-2. South Callaway ended its season with a 12-11 record.
Hallsville moves on to play the No. 2 seed North Callaway Ladybirds (13-12) in the second semifinal at 6:30 tonight. North Callaway easily handled Hallsville 12-2 on Sept. 19 in Auxvasse.