Timberwolves stopped by Benton/Shullsburg co-op
By A.J. Gates
Losses to Benton/Shullsburg and Barneveld last week dropped coach Jennifer Drew’s River Ridge softball squad to a Six Rivers West record of 1-6 and an overall mark of 3-11.
Last Tuesday night in a 3-1 loss to host Benton/Shullsburg, the Timberwolves were limited to just three hits, while holding their opponent to just four.
River Ridge jumped out to an early lead with one run scored in the top of the first inning, when lead-off batter Alayna Brinkman scored on a passed ball. A pair of strikeouts ended the inning with runners on second and third.
After Benton/Shullsburg scored one run in the bottom of the third and two more in the fifth, the Timberwolves mounted a threat in the top of the sixth with singles from Mallory Crubel and Avery Drew. The inning ended on a strikeout though, leaving the tying run stranded on base.
Benton/Shullsburg pitcher Jessie Ray struck out 15 of the 30 batters she faced, while issuing five walks to the Timberwolves.
Her counterpart, Erin Adrian, struck out seven batters and walked three in a complete six-inning performance that also saw her give up three unearned runs off four hits.
On the following Friday night, the Timberwolves fell to visiting Barneveld, 16-1, in a shortened five-inning contest.
In that game, River Ridge was limited to just two hits, getting one each from Erin Adrian and sophomore Josey Drone, who also had the team’s only RBI on an RBI single in the sixth to score freshman left fielder Harper Kramer.
Adrian, who pitched the first four inning, allowed 13 runs, six earned, off 10 hits, while striking out four batters and walking five.
Freshman Abby Doyle pitched the final inning, giving up three runs, one earned, off one hit, while striking out one batter and walking two.
Following this past Monday night’s conference clash with visiting Belmont, and Tuesday night’s road game at Boscobel, the Timberwolves will hit the road again to Monticello/New Glarus on Thursday night, and then to Belmont on Friday.
