SOFTBALL: KELLY, LAWSON TO MATCH ACES IN 2A

Runs could very well be at a real premium today when Kelly and Lawson hook up in a semifinal game of the Missouri Class 2A state high school softball tournament.

The Lady Hawks (20-2) and Lady Cardinals (22-2) will square off at 11:30 a.m. at the Rainbow Softball Complex in Columbia, Mo.

Two of the state's premier hurlers will be on display today as Kelly's Marissa Essner and Lawson's Shelly MacDonald take the mound. Naturally, both coaches are expecting a real pitcher's duel.

"From what I've heard about their pitcher, she's really good," said Kelly first-year head coach Melanie Heuring. "And Marissa has been so good for us. I look for a very good, close, low-scoring game."

Said Lawson coach Tom Jacobsen, also in his first year as the Lady Cardinals' head coach, "Most of the time, at this point in the season, it's usually a pitcher's game, usually a 1-0, 2-1 kind of game. I expect that."

MacDonald, a two-time all-stater, has put up some incredible numbers for the Lady Cardinals this year, going 18-2 with an almost unheard of 0.34 earned-run average. In 144 innings, the senior has allowed just 39 hits while striking out 258 and walking only 10.

"She's been a first-year coach's dream," said Jacobsen of MacDonald, the state's all-time career strikeout leader with 972.

Essner's numbers are not as eye-popping as MacDonald's, but part of that is because the Lady Hawks relied on three pitchers during the regular season, with Essner taking over once the playoffs started.

One of the area's premier hurlers the past several seasons, and also a standout in national summer tournaments the past couple of years, Essner has an 8-2 record with a 1.29 ERA The senior tossed a no-hitter during the quarterfinals against Clopton.

Kelly's other two pitchers, juniors Bridgett Riley and Natalie Lewer, are both 6-0 with minuscule ERA's of 0.74 and 0.70, respectively.

"We have a lot of confidence in Marissa and we have Bridgett and Natalie to close it out if we need," Heuring said.

Offensively, Lawson has a team batting average of .305. MacDonald also leads the way in that department, hitting .415 with a team-high four home runs. Freshman Lauren Barker and senior Lacy Green are both batting nearly .350.

Kelly's team batting average is just in the .260 range, but the Lady Hawks faced stout pitching much of the regular season competing against plenty of larger schools in the area.

Essner is hitting .391 to pace the Lady Hawks, with Riley close behind at .385. Other batters above .300 are Dana Essner at .313 and Megan Beggs at .309, while Cara Scherer is actually hitting .400, although in only 15 at-bats. Beggs and Riley lead the way in runs batted in with 24 and 22, respectively.

"I feel like we have a pretty well-rounded team, with our pitching, offense and defense," said Heuring.

While Lawson has been to the state's final four just one other time -- the Lady Cardinals finished second in 1995 -- Kelly is making a habit of advancing this far as the Lady Hawks are in the 2A Final Four for the fourth time in the past five years. Kelly, which won the state title in 1997, finished third last season.

With many of Kelly's key players this season also participating in the final four last year, Heuring is hoping that experience helps pay dividends or her squad.

"Playing at state last year, and also playing in the (Babe Ruth Softball) World Series the last two summers, gives us a lot of experience," Heuring said. "I feel like we're going up there with a good chance (to win the title). But you never know what's going to happen."

Today's other semifinal will pit Blair Oaks (21-2) against Salisbury (20-7). Saturday's third-place game will be at 11:30 a.m., with the championship contest at 4:30 p.m.