The Monticello Sages girl's softball team overcame a blown call that resulted in a game-tying inside the park home run and beat Warrensburg-Latham 4-3 in a Class 2A Regional semifinal matchup from Monticello High School Wednesday afternoon.

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, the Lady Sages jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, scoring both runs with two outs after Lizzie Stiverson tripled, Rosa Baker doubled and Hannah Uebinger singled.

Daytona Fowler laced a solo home run to left center field in the fourth inning to get the Lady Cardinals on the board. During the next at-bat, pinch hitter Shelby Oakley smashed a grounder down the right field line. Rolling past a dodging first base umpire, the ball rolled into an open area in foul territory that bound up against a fan just past a marker in the field signifying the boundary of play. 

Right fielder Lucy Leatherwood and several other Monticello defenders threw their hands in the air to signal the ball had left the field of play but umpires were unaware of the situation and no calls were made allowing Oakley to continue around the bases and ultimately score. 

The Lady Sages would take the momentum right back in the top of the sixth inning when Marissa Miller reached on a bloop to shallow left field and hustled out a two-base error. After Addison Wallace struck out, Lizzie Stiverson was intentionally walked to put runners at first and second with one out.

Rosa Baker blistered a one-hopper that the Lady Cardinals' third baseman couldn't handle and skipped into shallow left field allowing Miller to score from second. At the same time, Stiverson moved up to third and Baker took second.

Hannah Uebinger grounded out to second base to allow Stiverson to score easily and make the score 4-2.

The Lady Cardinals got a run back in the sixth but Macy Hicks finished the complete-game victory after another contentious call was made at first base on a grounder by Kora Speasl. 

Hicks went seven innings and struck out four allowing three earned runs. Her efforts earned her the Piatt/DeWitt County ServPro Player of the Game. 

Warrensburg-Latham potentially left runs on the field in the first three innings with poor base running decisions. The Lady Cardinals were caught stealing in each of the first two innings, in the second it was a strike out-throw out double play, and then had another base runner thrown out trying to from second to third on a ground ball to third base after the throw across the infield in the third inning. 

The Lady Cardinals finish the season 18-11 overall.

Monticello improves to 11-13 overall and will battle Illini Prairie Conference rival Bloomington Central Catholic for the Regional title Friday afternoon at 4:30 pm. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.