High school softball roundup: Defense can't rescue Panthers

Good defense wasn’t enough for Oak Grove in two third-place bracket games in the Greater Kansas City Suburban Softball Invitational at Adair Park.
Four-year starter Lauren Sharp came within one batter of pitching a perfect seven-inning game in leading Winnetonka to a 4-0 victory Wednesday. Odessa followed with a 4-1 decision.
“They were tough losses to take when you play as well defensively as we did with only two errors combined,” Oak Grove coach Kirk Sears said. “We have to swing the bats a little better.”
Sharp, who will be one of the best pitchers Oak Grove will face this season, retired the first 16 batters with nine strikeouts before Shelby Shockley singled to break up the perfect game.
Sharp finished with 11 strikeouts and no walks. Abby Rector suffered the loss.
Two first-inning runs were all the Griffins and Sharp needed.
“We had a double play to end the inning or it could have been worse,” Sears said.
Oak Grove (1-3) collected only three hits in the Odessa defeat. Rector singled twice and her ground ball out drove in Oak Grove’s only run of the night in the sixth inning.
Odessa scored two runs in both the first and second innings for the win.
“I didn’t pitch Rector because we will face Odessa twice in the league (Missouri River Valley Conference West),” Sears said.
TRUMAN DROPS TWO: Truman will face Oak Grove for seventh place in the second-place bracket today, weather permitting.
The Patriots fell to Smithville 6-2, then lost to St. Joseph Central 6-3 in the second-place bracket.
“We needed a couple more timely hits,” Truman coach Steven Broughton said. “We gave (Central) five runs. It’s not always physical errors, but we had two or three mental errors that hurt us.”
Against Smithville, the Patriots (1-3) fell behind 3-1 before the Warriors scored three runs in the fifth inning. Brooke Pollard had an RBI, while Stefanie Guthrie scored a run.
Truman trailed only 4-3 in the sixth inning against Central before the Indians put across a pair of runs in the top of the seventh.
Kristi Blau had three hits for Truman, while Megan Fasher added a pair of hits. Allie Scates – who took the loss – drove in two runs and hit a double.
THIRD-PLACE BRACKET: William Chrisman defeated St. Mary’s 9-4 for its first victory after suffering a tough 8-7 loss to Raytown.
Beth Dressback posted Chrisman’s first win in four games. Shelby Riley singled twice and Kealee McAhan singled with two RBIs.
Raytown solved Amanda Jennings for eight runs in the first two innings. The Bears rallied for four runs in the fifth inning and three in the sixth and left the bases loaded. Linley Tate retired 10 of the 12 batters she faced in relief.
McAhan doubled twice and singled with four RBIs and Kenzie Myers singled twice.
“Tate was back to form,” Chrisman coach Mark Amos said. “It was a great effort at the end. People stepped up and made plays. I like the way the kids bounced after last night (two losses). Riley also made some great plays.”
Raytown then defeated Fort Osage 6-4 to advance to the bracket finals against St. Teresa’s at 5:30 tonight on Field No. 5. Fort Osage rolled past St. Mary’s 15-0 and takes on North Kansas City for third place at 5:30  on Field No. 6. Chrisman meets Harrisonville at 4 p.m. on Field No. 5 for fifth place.
GRAIN VALLEY 3, RAYTOWN SOUTH 2: Cassie Copenhaver helped Sydney Fairfield earn her first varsity win for the Eagles.
Copenhaver’s single in the sixth inning drove in Fairfield for the winning run in a round-robin win over the host team in the Raytown South Tournament Wednesday.
Fairfield – a freshman making her varsity pitching debut – allowed an earned run, one walk and struck out 13.
“I’m really excited about Sydney,” Eagles coach Jim Oliver said. “She had a strong performance on the hill. She kept her composure and routed them in the fifth and sixth innings, striking out four of the six batters she faced.”
Fairfield gave up only one hit to Zanny Baker, the only hit the Eagles have given up this year.
“I like that,” Oliver said. “Hopefully we can keep it going.”