Lady Bulldogs Upset Salem in District Softball

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St. Clair entered the Class 3 District 9 Softball Tournament limping a bit following its last few games of the regular season.

The Lady Bulldogs ended the regular season with some disappointing outcomes, including a 21-11 home loss Sept. 26 to Salem.

Things turned around for St. Clair in the first round of the district tournament Wednesday at Campbell Chapman Complex in Sullivan.

The sixth-seeded Lady Bulldogs (6-16) pulled off the surprise of the opening round, knocking off third-seeded Salem, 8-5.

The win moved St. Clair to the district semifinals and avenged the loss to Salem earlier in the season. The Lady Bulldogs lost to Borgia in the semifinals.

“We’re proud of how the team bounced back after a couple of tough losses,” said St. Clair Head Coach Greg Dunigan. “We saw some leadership from some girls who we haven’t seen it from all year.”

Anna Reed pitched all seven innings to earn the win for the Lady Bulldogs. She allowed five runs, four earned, with six walks and seven strikeouts.

“Anna went the full seven innings and was awesome,” said Dunigan. “She took the challenge to get the job done.”

St. Clair got going offensively with three runs in the top of the first inning.

The highlight of the opening frame was a two-out, two-run triple by Katie Tauchert.

“That was a big triple by Katie,” said Dunigan.

With the score tied 5-5 in the top of the fifth inning, St. Clair’s Marissa Laubinger belted a two-run home run to give the Lady Bulldogs the lead for good, 7-5.

“Marissa hit one out, which was huge,” Dunigan said. “She has really been hitting the ball well.”

St. Clair added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning to increase its lead to 8-5.

Reed and the Lady Bulldogs retired Salem in order in the bottom of the seventh inning.

St. Clair collected eight hits in the contest.

Laubinger reached base four times, going 2-2 at the plate with a home run, two walks, two RBIs and two runs.

Reed helped herself at the plate by also reaching base four times, going 3-4 with two runs and one RBI.

Nicole Nardi finished with two hits and two runs.

Tauchert added one hit (triple), one walk and two RBIs.

Alicia York walked and scored two runs. Nina Tweedy also drew a walk.