Lady Rebels down Holcomb in 8 to reach TCC final

HOLCOMB, Mo. -- One season ago, the Southland Lady Rebels won just one game. A year later, they are one win away from winning the Tri-County Conference Tournament.

Becca Bakich tossed a five-hit shutout and Darcy McMinn scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Lady Rebels edged the Holcomb Lady Hornets, 1-0, in the semifinals of the Tri-County tourney here Tuesday.

"Obviously we have a lot of freshman talent," Southland coach Johnny McMinn said. "We didn't really lose that many players (from last season). It's like a different team now than it was at the beginning of the year. They've learned so much."

At the semifinals of the Tri-County Conference baseball tournament at Wardell, it was North Pemiscot 5, Cooter 0; and top-seeded Campbell 12, Holcomb 2; while at the Bootheel Conference baseball tournament, No. 2 seed Caruthersville downed Senath-Hornersville, 8-3.

Southland (10-7) will face top-seeded Delta C7 Thursday in the finals. Delta edged Campbell, 9-7, in Tuesday's other semifinal.

Tuesday's game was scoreless for seven and a half innings, until Darcy McMinn led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk. She then stole second and came all the way around on Bakich's grounder when she knocked the ball out of the catcher's mitt on the play at the plate.

"I don't know if I've ever seen a girls game that went 0-0 into the eighth inning," said coach McMinn. "This is the fourth game in a row that we've played fantastic. We're so much better than we were at the beginning of the year it isn't even funny."

Meanwhile, Bakich may have pitched her best game of the season, scattering five hits and one walk through eight innings to earn the hard-fought win.

"She's done well in the last few games," coach McMinn said. "She's learning to change speeds. It don't matter whether it's baseball or softball. If you learn to change speeds you're going to be effective even against good teams."

Notes: Centerfielder Katy Crouch had a spectacular catch in the top of eighth inning to preserve the shutout. ... The Lady Rebels won the last meeting with Holcomb by one run (8-7). ... The Lady Hornets were the defending Tri-County Conference Tournament champion.

Baseball

North Pemiscot 5, Cooter 0

At Wardell, the host and second-seeded Mustangs downed the third-seeded Wildcats behind a three-hit shutout from Josh Tomlin.

Tomlin struck out eight and walked three while holding Cooter to just three hits and keeping the 'Cats off the board.

Tomlin and John Jackson also scored twice, while Parker Watkins finished the day 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Jackson also added two hits.

Tuesday's game may not be the last meeting between the two teams. North Pemiscot is scheduled to host the Wildcats later this season, and both could meet again in districts. Earlier this season, the Mustangs won, 8-7, at Cooter.