Around the area: Hlubek belts three homers to lead Blue Devils past Chargers

QUINCY — Avary Hlubek could not and would not be denied. The sophomore center fielder hit home runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings of the Quincy High School softball team’s 12-4 victory over Illini West on Friday.

Her second inning home run came just three batters after Carlee Gilker hit a two-run home run. Coupled with Ariana Adorno’s first-inning blast, the homers helped the Blue Devils open up a 7-0 lead.

After Chargers first baseman Olivia Johnson homered in the top of fourth to cut the Chargers’ deficit to 8-2, Hlubek led off the bottom of the inning with her second home run to push the Blue Devils’ lead back to seven. Hlubek’s fifth-inning solo home run capped off a three-run inning for Quincy (11-8).

Pirates beat Owls, seal NCMC championship

MARSHALL, Mo. — The Hannibal girls soccer team defeated Marshall 3-2 on Friday to clinch its sixth straight North Central Missouri Conference championship. Ashley Davis scored two goals and Abbie Martin had a goal and an assist for the Pirates (19-2-2, 10-0 NCMC).

Lowe perfect again as Pleasant Hill sweeps DH

BARRY, Ill. — McKinley Lowe did it again.

For the third time this season, McKinley Lowe threw a perfect game as the Pleasant Hill softball team defeated Western 11-0 in five innings on Friday. Lowe struck out nine batters and went 3 for 3 at the plate. The Wolves jumped on the Wildcats with three runs in the first inning on three consecutive hits by Lowe, Makenna Winchell and Hannah Hill. Ava Wombles had three hits, including a two-run double, for the Wolves (19-3).

Pleasant Hill scored seven runs in the first inning of a 16-1 victory over Jacksonville Routt in the second game. Lowe, Hill and Lilly McElfresh each drove in runs with singles in the first inning. Wombles tossed all four innings in the pitcher’s circle and had an RBI double.

Chargers’ Carlisle, Johnson combine to shut out West Prairie

CARTHAGE, Ill. — Ethan Carlisle tossed six shutout innings and Nick Johnson threw a scoreless seventh inning as the Illini West baseball team beat West Prairie 4-0. Colby Robertson scored on the backend of a double steal for the first run in the first inning, while Stephen Sparks’ RBI single capped a three-run fourth inning for the Chargers (19-4).

Tornadoes score 12 in third inning of win over Hornets

GRIGGSVILLE, Ill. — The Griggsville-Perry softball team scored all 12 of their runs in the third inning with two outs and staved off a Brown County rally to win 15-13. Emily Lemons then singled, scoring Ashtyn Wainman and setting in motion a stretch of 13 straight Tornadoes hitters reaching base. The inning featured seven walks, six hits and a hit batter. The Hornets (0-15) scored six runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to draw within two.