Prairie Softball gets trio of SWC wins to earn at least a share of first conference title since 1989
Prairie du Chien pitcher Scout Hall fields a ground ball hit back to her. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Pinch hitter April Smith works on a bunt attempt. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Emma Abram (front) makes a play on an infield pop-up. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Bailey Halvorson smirks after a called strike three on a check swing. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Shortstop Reagan Hannah gets ready to throw the ball around Lancaster's Amelia Johnsen on a double play attempt. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Irelynd Cejka watches the ball after connecting for a base hit. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
The Hawks' Brecklyn McCumber fouls off the pitch to the backstop. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Outfielders Claire Kennedy (left) and Rita Achenbach (right) celebrate after Kennedy recorded the final out of the Hawks 7-3 win. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
By Derick Kelly
Coming off of their first losing streak of the season, Prairie du Chien Softball wasted no time in starting a new streak last week.
First up was the Lancaster Flying Arrows, who came to town on Tuesday, May 7 looking to play the role of spoiler. Lancaster scored two runs in the top of the first inning to quickly grab a 2-0 lead.
That lead would not last long. The Hawks would respond with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. The Hawks added two runs in the third and three more in the fifth to take a 7-2 lead before Lancaster answered with one run of their own in the sixth. The Hawks held them in check the rest of the game on their to a 7-3 win.
Claire Kennedy (3-for-3 with two doubles, two runs scored and four RBIs), Scout Hall (3-for-4 with two runs scored), Irelynd Cejka (2-for-3 with a home run, three runs scored and one RBI) and Rita Achenbach (1-for-3 with a double and one RBI) provided the offensive attack for Prairie.
Hall also got the win on the mound for the Hawks (three runs allowed on six hits and three walks in seven innings while also striking out six).
Richland Center came to town three days later for a doubleheader following a weather postponement the previous day.
Playing as the road team in game one of the doubleheader, the Hawks offense erupted for 18 runs in the six inning victory. The Hawks scored twice in the first, eight in the third, two in the fourth and six more in the fifth. The Hornets scored one in the second and three in the third to make the score 8-4 but they were unable to get get any closer the rest of the way as the Hawks earned the 18-4 win.
Prairie’s offensive barrage was lead by Achenbach (4-for-4 with a double, a home run, a walk, three runs scored and five RBIs), Hall (2-for-4 with a grand slam, two walks, four runs scored and five RBIs), Cejka (2-for-3 with a triple, home run, two walks, four runs scored and two RBIs). Camryn Knapp added a RBI single for the Hawks.
Hall pitched all five innings for the Hawks, allowing four runs (one earned) on six hits and one walk with three strikeouts to earn the victory.
The second game of the doubleheader saw the Hawks take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first before the Hornets tied the game with two runs of their own in the third. Prairie du Chien would then retake the lead with two runs in the fourth before Richland Center added a run of their own to make the score 4-3.
Prairie kept responding to every Hornets rally attempt by scoring two runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth to make the score to 7-4, which would end up being the final score.
Hall (3-for-3 with a run scored and one RBI), Reagan Hannah (2-for-3 with a home run, one walk, one run scored and two RBIs), Claire Kennedy (2-for-3 with a run scored), Laney Mitchell (2-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI) and Emma Abram (1-for-3 with a walk, one run scored and two RBIs) lead the Hawks at the plate. Hall also earned the win on the mound (four runs allowed on 11 hits and three walks with four strikeouts in seven innings pitched).
The sweep of the Hornets combined with Platteville’s 8-7 victory at River Valley that same evening gave Prairie du Chien a two game lead with two games remaining, clinching no worse than a tie for the SWC Championship for the Blackhawks. The title is the program’s first in the SWC and second all-time. The previous conference championship occurred in 1989 when the Hawks won the SWAL Large with a 8-2 conference record before finishing 12-4 overall.
PdC wrapped up the conference season with road games at Platteville this past Monday night and at River Valley last night.
The Hawks (13-3 overall, 7-1 in the SWC) received the number one seed in their half sectional grouping and will host the winner of eight seed Westby and nine seed Richland Center in a D3 Regional Semifinal game on Tuesday, May 21 at 5 p.m.
