That was the goal Saturday morning for Chandler Harker’s Vienna Lady Eagle softball team in the semifinals of the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 1, District 1 Softball Tournament at Richland High School.

Tied at 2-2 after four innings, Vienna saw Norwood turn four errors and two hits into a four-run top of the fifth inning before eventually having their season end at 22-6 after a 6-3 loss to Norwood’s Lady Pirates.

Outhit 9-6 by Norwood, Vienna wound up committing seven errors compared to four for the Lady Pirates.

“We just didn’t execute today,” Harker said. “It’s disappointing to see our season end this way but the girls never gave up even though it seemed like we hit every ball right to them.”

Down 2-0 after two innings, Vienna’s offense came to life in the bottom of the third inning.

Salene George led off the inning reaching on an error before scoring the first run of the game on a Ella Hollis RBI single.

Ella later scored on an error to tie the game at 2-2 after three innings.

Lady Eagle starting pitcher Addie James got help in the form of an inning-ending double play keeping Norwood from taking the lead in the top of the fourth.

Retired in order in the bottom half of the fourth, Vienna saw Norwood take advantage of their miscues in the top of the fifth inning.

Vienna got a run back in the bottom of the fifth when George led the frame off with a single before scoring on another Ella Hollis RBI single cutting Norwood’s lead in half to 6-3 after five innings.

Unable to turn a Marissa Hollis leadoff walk in the bottom of the sixth and a Eva Hollis one-out double in the top of the seventh into runs, Harker’s Lady Eagles saw their season end one win shy of reaching another district championship game.

Monday night, Norwood went on to fall to St. Elizabeth 9-5 in the district title game.

Last Friday in their district tournament opener against Newburg, Vienna raced out to a 7-0 lead after three innings before they turned four hits and five hit batters in the bottom of the fourth inning into eight runs giving them a 15-0 mercy rule victory over the Lady Wolves in four innings.

After Lady Eagle starting pitcher Eva Hollis retired Newburg in order in the top of the first, Vienna scored three runs on two hits, two walks and an error for a quick 3-0 lead.

Eva Hollis helped her own cause by drawing a walk and scoring before Ella Hollis and Aubrey Schwartze both singled and scored in the bottom of the first inning.

Pitching around a one-out single in the top of the second inning, Eva Hollis gave her Vienna offense a chance to add to their 3-0 lead in the bottom half of the frame.

Jaelee Stricklan walked and scored on a George RBI sacrifice fly before Aubrey Reeves singled and scored on a Eva Hollis RBI double pushing Vienna’s lead to 5-0.

Ella Hollis drove in her sister Eva on a RBI single giving the Lady Eagles a 6-0 lead through two innings.

Nearly striking out the side in the top of the third inning, Eva Hollis watched the Vienna offense give her more run support.

Madison Weeks singled and scored on a Stricklan RBI single giving the Lady Eagles a 7-0 lead through three innings.

During Vienna’s eight-run bottom of the fourth inning, five Lady Eagles were hit by pitches.

Four of them scored including Kayla Hertzing, Aubrey Reeves, Stricklan and George.

Marissa Hollis doubled and scored while Ella and Eva Hollis doubled and tripled and scored respectively capping Vienna’s 15-0 victory over Newburg.