The North Callaway Thunderbirds are sizzling like never before.
Junior shortstop Zack Lavy had two hits and drove in three runs Thursday night as unbeaten North Callaway opened Mid-Missouri Conference play with a 9-2 victory over Hallsville.
The Thunderbirds are now off to their best start in the program's history, moving their season record to 7-0. North Callaway jumped on Hallsville (1-5, 0-1 MMC) for four runs in the first, one in the second and four more in the fourth. The Indians tallied single runs in the fourth and sixth.
"This was a good way to start conference," Thunderbirds head coach Kevin O'Neal said. "It was a good win against a good, quality baseball program."
Lavy went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored to help spark North Callaway's 10-hit attack. Lavy leads the St. Louis area in both batting average (.773) and on-base percentage (.800), and is second in slugging percentage (1.545).
Sophomore second baseman Justin Murphy was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI for the Thunderbirds on Thursday night. Junior pitcher Collin Brinker - who recorded the win to stay undefeated - helped himself by going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Senior Grant Cundiff, who started the game in right field before finishing up in relief of Brinker, also went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.
Brinker (3-0) gave up Hallsville's two runs, one earned, on just three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out nine and walked two. Cundiff logged the final five outs - all on strikeouts.
North Callaway (4-2) won the junior varsity game 8-2.
The Thunderbirds were scheduled to play at Sturgeon on Friday, but the doubleheader was postponed because of wet field conditions. It will be made up at 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 11.
North Callaway travels to Harrisburg for an MMC matchup at 5 p.m. Monday.
South Callaway baseball (V)..........8
Southern Boone.............................3
MOKANE - Smith Kemper went 2-for-3 and drove in four runs as the Bulldogs broke out for 10 hits in Thursday night's Mid-Missouri Conference win over the Eagles.
Hunter Leeper finished 2-for-4 with two RBI for South Callaway, while Zach Marty was 3-for-4. Konrad Kemper also went 2-for-2.
Leeper picked up the victory for the Bulldogs, giving up three runs on eight hits in five innings. He also struck out six.
South Callaway hosted New Haven on Friday. Results were not available at press time.
The Bulldogs travel to Hallsville for an MMC contest at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Howard, Lady Bulldogs finish
sixth at Versailles Invitational
VERSAILLES - Taylor Howard triumphed in the 400 meters and took second in both the 200 and pole vault Thursday as the South Callaway girls came in sixth overall at the Versailles Invitational.
In the boys' division, Bryan Lechner prevailed in the 200 meters and the 110- and 300-meter hurdles to direct South Callaway to an eighth-place finish.
Howard won the 400 with a time of 1 minute, 4.15 seconds, to help the Lady Bulldogs accumulate 59.5 points. She finished second in the 200 in :27.93 and was the runner-up in the pole vault with a jump of 7 feet.
Abby Luebbert also led South Callaway by winning the 3,200 in 13:21.02 and placing second in the 1,600 in 6:09.53.
See CALLAWAY PREPS on Page 10