Shaun Hunt ends McDonald County’s best chance to score in the district championship Monday.

District champ Cardinals play Kearney at home Saturday in state quarterfinals

The Webb City Cardinals have upset McDonald County to become back-to-back district champs and can now look forward to a quarterfinal at home Saturday afternoon.

That quarterfinal will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Chuck Barnes Field against the 24-9 Kearney Bulldogs. Tickets are $8 and must be purchased online from MSHSAA.

A lack of online ticket sales is said to be one reason why the district championship game between Webb City and McDonald County was moved Monday from the tournament site, Warrensburg, to Neosho (site of last year’s district tournament).

Kaylor Darnell threw six shutout innings and placed a perfect bunt to bring home Webb City’s first score while defeating the top-seeded McDonald County Mustangs.

It was the top of the sixth when Drew Vonder Haar led off with a double and was brought home on Darnell’s bunt to the pitcher’s mound.

Darnell struck out the side in the bottom of the sixth to maintain the Cardinals’ 1-0 lead.

In the top of the seventh, Gage Chapman got on with a walk, advanced to second on Sam Weller’s bunt and went to third on Cy Darnell’s ground-out. Shaun Hunt brought Chapman home with a double.

Webb City got a defensive lift in the bottom of the fourth when a Mustang scoring threat ended with a throw to the plate  from right field.

It’s the second year in a row that the Cardinals have won the district championship. Their season last year ended with an 11-7 loss in the quarterfinal round at Platte County.

Better stories online can be found at SOMO Sports and the Ozark Sports Zone.

Kaylor Darnell

Drew Vonder Haar

Cardinals headed to state track meet with large contingent

Webb City boys won the Class 4 sectional 3 meet last week and have 11 athletes going to state this weekend at Jefferson City.

The girls squad is going to state in six events.

Details are at SOMO Sports.