DISTRICT CHAMPIONS: LADY INDIANS WIN FIRST DISTRICT SOFTBALL TITLE

Jackson players celebrated their 4-1 victory over Cape Central in the Class 4A, District I championship game Monday.

Though Jackson High had turned aside Cape Girardeau Central twice in as many tries before Monday's Class 4A, District 1 softball championship game, the two teams' seeming equality still lingered in Megan Kuntze's mind.

After four innings, the scoreboard showed 1-1. Both teams were toting marks of 20-6. Each had won its district semifinal game in 14-0 routs.

Even after a thrust of her bat in the fifth yielded a two-run double that snapped the tie, Kuntze, the Jackson second baseman, still wasn't ready for elation. "I was just relieved," she said.

Anxiety was nudged aside for elation only after Kuntze seized Erica McDonald's ground ball and winged it to first baseman Melissa Palmer to seal a 4-1 victory, Jackson's first district championship.

"It's pretty exciting," said Jackson coach Becky Riney. "I've worked a long time, but actually it's the girls. I just think they were hungry for a district championship."

So the Lady Indians should be especially ravenous for a sectional title. The game is set for Thursday evening at 6 in Jackson against the District 2 winner (the title game Monday in Hillsboro was canceled because of rain).

After Jackson broke a 0-0 knot in the fourth when Palmer singled in Amanda Bollinger on a close play at home, Central retorted in its part of the inning. With two out and a runner on, an error by the Jackson pitcher, Gretchen King, and a single loaded the bases. King then forced Jennifer Daume home with a walk, her only walk in the game.

In the fifth, Jackson's Cherish Tillman led off with a single off Central pitcher Kathy Michel. After Emily Sander's one-out single, Kuntze made the score 3-1 with her smash off the fence in right-center field.

Then with two out, Ashlie Voerg, the Central shortstop, booted a slow grounder, which allowed Kuntze to score.

Central threatened in their fifth, but with two on and two out, Bollinger, the Jackson catcher, threw out Courtney Haman as she attempted to steal third. "That was a big play because they had a chance to score some runs and they didn't do it," Riney said.

The Lady Tigers logged just the single run despite outhitting Jackson 10-7. "When you get 10 hits you're expecting a lot more than one run," said Central coach Don Lang.

"But I thought what took us out was the defensive side," he said. "We are used to playing better defense than what we did today. We let the pressure get to us."

This season was Central's first with 20 victories. But Jackson went 3-0 against the Lady Tigers, winning 6-2 and 6-5 in the regular-season games.