Lady 'Cats advance in district

STURGEON -- Senior Niki Kruger had three hits and drove in three runs Wednesday to lead the Slater softball team to an 8-4 victory over Glasgow in the first round of the Class 1, District 11 Tournament at Sturgeon.

Kruger delivered the key blow, a two-run triple, as the Lady Wildcats tallied three runs in the bottom of the first inning. She scored the final run on a wild pitch.

Junior Ana Jackson reach on an error and scored on junior Saria Leimkuehler's grounder in the second and Kruger singled, stole second base and came in on an error in the third to make it 5-0.

The Lady Yellowjackets got on the board in the fourth when sophomore Alex Davis reached on a bunt single, swiped two bags and scored on a sacrifice fly -- but Slater answered with two runs during its half of the frame, Kruger smacking another triple to plate the second run.

Glasgow (5-10) narrowed the gap with three unearned runs in the fifth, Davis' RBI single capping a rally with was aided by a pair of errors, but could get no closer.

Leimkuehler drove in the Lady 'Cats' last two run with a single in the sixth.

Jackson and sophomore Marissa Weiher each scored twice for Slater (5-9), which is scheduled to meet No. 1 seed Cairo in the semifinals today.