HERMITAGE, Mo. - The St. Elizabeth Hornets jumped out early, then were able to hold on late for a 4-2 win against the Wheatland Mules in the Class 1 District 9 championship Wednesday.
St. Elizabeth scored in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single by Dakota Kemna and added three more runs in the third to take a 4-0 lead.
Back-to-back doubles by Nolan Heckemeyer and Colton Green brought in the first run of the third inning. Mason Kemna then had an RBI single to score Green and Dakota Kemna added an RBI groundout later in the inning to give the Hornets a four-run cushion.
Wheatland scored a run in each of the fourth and fifth innings, but St. Elizabeth held a two-run margin the rest of the way.
Alex Goeller was the winning pitcher for the Hornets. He allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 42/3 innings.
Zach Voss pitched 21/3 scoreless innings to pick up the save. Voss did not allow a hit and struck out four.
Mason Kemna went 3-for-3, finishing the game with a double, while Voss was 2-for-3.
St. Elizabeth (12-6), which has won eight of its last nine games and is ranked No. 7 in Class 1 by the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association, will host its Class 1 sectional round game Monday. The Hornets will face the winner of tonight's District 10 championship game between Northwest: Hughesville and Santa Fe.