CARTHAGE — Emily Calhoon stood tall in the circle, and Presley Probert stood just tall enough at third base.
Calhoon also singled in the winning run in the top of the ninth inning, and Probert turned in two web gems in the bottom half as Carthage nipped fourth-seeded Willard 1-0 Wednesday night in the opening game of the Class 4 District 11 softball tournament at the Fair Acres Sports Complex.
Third-seeded Neosho rode an eight-run first inning to an 11-1 victory over Joplin in the nightcap.
Semifinal games tonight match top-seeded Webb City (18-6) vs. Carthage (13-15) at 5 and second-seeded Republic (17-9) vs. Neosho (16-7) at 6:30. The winners advance to Friday night's championship game at 5.
Calhoon and Willard pitcher Sydni Fletcher matched zeroes through eight innings of their pitchers' duel. Fletcher retired 16 of 17 batters from the third through eighth innings, and Calhoon retired 17 of 19 from the first through seventh innings.
"We had a couple of chances early, hit some balls right at them when it looked like we might come up with something but didn't happen," Carthage coach Mike Godfrey said. "Our girls kept competing, and stating the obvious. but Emily threw a phenomenal game."
Halle Patrick singled to right to lead off the Carthage ninth, and Landry Cochran pushed a bunt past the pitcher for a hit.
"We work on that," Godfrey said. "That was a push bunt base hit attempt, and she did a great job putting it right where she wanted to. I told her after the game that bunt as much as anything won us the game."
With one out, Katie Crowe's groundout to third advanced the runners to second and third. Calhoon, batting seventh in the lineup, then grounded a single to left to score Patrick.
"I was stressing out a little bit. I'm not going to lie," Calhoon said. "I knew I had to put it in play. I knew my job."
Calhoon, who struck out 11 batters, walked one and allowed only two balls to be hit out of the infield, said she felt even more pressure in the circle.
"My heart was beating, but I knew I had to stay calm and throw my game," Calhoon said. "My screwball and my rise were my main pitches."
Calhoon hit Baylee Gastineau to start the Willard ninth but struck out the next batter. Fletcher's soft line drive appeared headed toward left field, but Probert used every inch of her 5-foot-2 frame to make an overhead catch for the second out.
"I kind of drop stepped a little bit," Probert said. "At first I was like ... I wish my arms were longer, but then I got it. My adrenaline was pumping. I was just super happy, so excited."
Maliyah Wells reached on an error to move the tying run into scoring position, but Mackenzie Davis' line drive down the third-base line was snagged by a diving Probert to end the game.
"It was in the moment," said Probert, who also made a sliding catch in front of the dugout in the eighth inning. "I knew I had to get it and went all out for it.
"I love third base. It's a lot of fun, a lot of action. I've played it just this year. I was an outfielder but they moved me to third base this year, and I love it."
"Presley did a great job ... a couple of diving plays and stuck with one hard right at her," Godfrey said. "And the one over her shoulder, that's huge. Those are game changers."
Karlee Kinder and Patrick had two hits apiece for Carthage, which snapped an eight-game losing streak against Willard (15-11) dating back to 2012.