High school softball: Fulton 5, Moberly 1

MOBERLY - Senior starter Hayden Echelmeier scattered three hits and junior designated hitter Rylee Caswell had three hits and drove in two runs in the Lady Hornets' NCMC win over the Lady Spartans on Tuesday night.

Fulton (8-5, 3-1 North Central Missouri Conference) tallied four runs in the top of the third inning and added its final run in the sixth. Moberly scored its lone run in the bottom of the seventh.

Echelmeier allowed an earned run and struck out six to log the complete-game victory.

Caswell finished 3-for-3 with a double and scored a run as the Lady Hornets collected eight hits. Senior shortstop Sydney Hedgpath was 1-for-3 with two RBI, while junior third baseman Alex Trowbridge went 1-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored.

Senior center fielder Rylee Hagens finished 1-for-3 with a double and scored a run for Fulton.

"We did enough offensively to get the win," Lady Hornets head coach Tim Echelmeier said. "It took a big adjustment from (Monday) night's game, and we were able to break through the second time through the lineup."

The Lady Hornets got back on track after managing only one hit and committing six errors in a 4-0 home loss to Blair Oaks on Monday night.

Fulton's only hit came on a leadoff single by Hagens - who was catching - in the bottom of the first.

Blair Oaks jumped in front with two runs in the top of the second and produced single runs in the third and fourth.

Hedgpath went the distance in suffering the loss for the Lady Hornets, giving up four runs - only one earned - on four hits. She issued seven walks and struck out two.

Fulton returns home for a showdown against NCMC rival Mexico at 5 p.m. Thursday at the high school athletic complex. The Lady Hornets will be looking to avenge a 7-6 loss to the Lady Bulldogs on Sept. 4 in the War on the Battlefield Tournament in Jefferson City.