St. Paul beats Lady Chiefs for I-70 championship

CONCORDIA -- The Santa Fe softball team had never lost an I-70 Conference Tournament championship game, until Tuesday ... and how.

St. Paul unloaded on the top-seeded Lady Chiefs for seven runs in the bottom of the third inning and rolled to a 12-0 victory, the first "10-run rule" game in the tourney's history.

The Lady Saints defended their crown in a lot easier manner than they won it last year with a 10-9, nine-inning decision over Concordia.

Senior Ashley Brackman tossed the shutout for St. Paul, allowing only one hit -- a lead-off single in the first inning to junior Lauren Aversman, who was promptly thrown out on a steal attempt.

Brackman retired the last 12 batters she faced to make for a quick, one-hour contest.

The Saints' big rally began small, with back-to-back bunt singles by juniors Madison Krause and Taylor Vogelsmeier.

A pair of walks loaded the bases and forced in Krause with the game's first run, a grounder plating Vogelsmeier.

Most of the damage was done with two outs, though. Runs came in on a single by senior Hannah Bail and junior Sara Riesterer's double.

A bloop by sophomore Dana Peters, an error and Vogelsmeier's RBI single completed the spree.

Freshman Lauren Hamilton singled in two runs, another scored on Bail's double and Riesterer added another tally with a single as St. Paul extended its lead to 11-0 in the fourth.

Freshman Suzanne Allen singled and scored in the fifth for the Lady Saints (9-4), who closed out their season by winning six of their last seven games.

After ending Sweet Springs' eight-game winning streak with a 4-1 victory in Monday's semifinal, the Lady Chiefs (9-7) were seeking their seventh championship since the tournament began in 1999.