The host St. James High softball team finished 1-2 in the annual St. James Invitational, held Saturday, Sept. 26 on three fields at Nelson Hart Park.

There were seven teams in the field. Newburg had to drop out due to low numbers.

Jefferson Festus won the tournament championship, defeating South Callaway 10-6 in the title game. In the third-place game Dixon topped St. James 11-2 and in the consolation game St. Pius X clipped Hermann 12-11.

The Lady Tigers outscored Hermann 12-10 in the first round and was shut out by Jefferson 4-0 in the semifinals.

Earlier in the week St. James lost a pair of Four Rivers Conference games, at Pacific 8-3 Tuesday, Sept. 22 and to Hermann 17-14 at Nelson Hart Park Thursday, Sept. 24.

St. James is now 5-11 overall and 0-4 in the FRC.

This week the Lady Tigers were to play at St. Clair Monday and at Owensville Tuesday in FRC games and in the Hermann Tournament Saturday.

St. James Invitational

Sept. 26 at Nelson Hart Park

Dixon 11, STJ 2: In the third-place game, Dixon got three runs in the bottom of the first and led the rest of the way. The Lady Bulldogs added one run in the second, four in the fourth and three in the fifth. St. James got its two runs in the top of the fourth. Dixon outhit STJ 9-7. Millicent Hartley doubled and had an RBI and run for the Lady Tigers while Kirrah Drennan, Anna Hughes, Macy McCurdy, Paige Nesbitt, Lillian Snelson and Lela Teague all singled. Teague was the starting pitcher and worked four innings while Raegan Witt finished up.

Jefferson 4, STJ 0: Jefferson got two runs in the bottom of the second inning, one in the second and one in the sixth. St. James was limited to three hits - two by Witt and one by Paige Nesbitt. Teague went the distance in the pitching circle, allowing three earned runs on five hits and three walks while fanning seven.

STJ 12, Hermann 10: After Hermann erupted for 10 runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 10-8 lead, the Lady Tigers scored the game’s final four in the top of the fourth. STJ jumped to an 8-0 advantage in the second frame. Hermann outhit St. James 8-4. Hartley had two hits and two RBI while Hughes had a hit, run and three RBI; Snelson a hit, run and two RBI; Emma Meurer a run and two RBI; McCurdy a run and RBI; Witt and Nesbitt two runs each, and Teague a run. Hartley was the starting pitcher and was relieved by Teague in the second.

Sept. 24 - Hermann 17, STJ 14: After STJ took a 4-1 lead after the first inning, Hermann got five runs in the top of the second, three in the third, five in the fifth, one in the sixth and two in the seventh. The Lady Tigers countered with two runs in the third, three in the fourth, one in the fifth, two in the sixth and two in the seventh before falling short. In the slugfest St. James outhit Hermann 16-14 and each team made five fielding errors. Witt slugged a home run, double, single, drove in three runs and scored twice for the Lady Tigers while Hughes was 4-for-5 with an RBI and four runs; Drennan and Nesbitt three hits, an RBI and run each; Teague a double, single, RBI and run, and Meurer a hit, RBI and run. Teague worked the first five innings, allowing five earned runs on 10 hits and six walks while striking out 11. Witt finished up in the pitching circle.

Sept. 22 - Pacific 8, STJ 3: The Pacific Lady Indians got three runs in the bottom of the first inning and led the rest of the way, adding solo runs in the second and fourth and three more in the fifth. St. James got single runs in the top of the second, third and fourth. Pacific outhit St. James 7-5. Teague had two hits and RBI; Meurer a hit and RBI; Hartley a hit and run; Witt a hit; Snelson an RBI, and Hughes and Nesbitt scored a run. Teague pitched the distance, allowing three earned runs on six hits and six walks while fanning eight.