W-S responds to tough loss with big win
Brianna Ray fires a pitch for a strike against North Crawford. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Senior Kiley Manning was okay after being hit in the helmet by a North Crawford pitch. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
By Derick Kelly
The Wauzeka-Steuben Softball team traveled to Fennimore last Tuesday, April 8 for a non-conference game with the Golden Eagles and it turned into a wild contest. The hosts got on the scoreboard first with three runs in the bottom of the first inning before the Hornets scored twice in the top of the third to make the score 3-2 in favor of Fennimore. The Golden Eagles extended their lead with one run in the bottom half of the third inning to make the score 4-2.
The Hornets would tie the game 4-4 in the top of the fourth inning before scoring six runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 10-4 lead. Fennimore did not go away quietly as the Golden Eagles cut into the Hornets lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game 10-10.
Wauzeka-Steuben was unable to reclaim the lead in the top of the seventh but managed to hold Fennimore scoreless in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings. The hosts retired the Hornets lineup in order in the top of the eighth inning. A pair of walks (including one that came off a tough 10-pitch at bat by Fennimore’s Kylie Cole) started the bottom of the eighth inning before Alex Bausch drove the first pitch she saw over the fence for a three-run walk-off home run (her second home run of the game) to give the Golden Eagles a 13-10 victory in eight innings.
The Hornets offense was lead by Isabella Bunders (three-for-four with two doubles, one run scored and two RBIs), Emma Wall (two-for-four with a double, triple, one walk, one run scored and 3 RBIs) and Brianna Ray (two-for-four with a double, one walk, one run scored and one RBI). W-S also got doubles from Kiley Manning, Avery Kilburg and Violet Mitchell. Ray started on the mound for the Hornets, allowing 10 runs on 15 hits and five walks with three strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched before Wall came on in relief, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 1.2 innings pitched to suffer the tough loss.
Wauzeka-Steuben were back at home two nights later to take on the North Crawford Trojans and the Hornets earned a dominating 20-0 victory in just two and half innings. The Hornets scored eight runs in the first and 12 runs in the second inning to seal the win. Offensively, W-S had 13 hits as a team, including multiple hits by Bunders (two-for-three with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs), Claudia Walz (two-for-two with two runs scored and one RBI), Sophia Walz (two-of-three with a double, three runs scored and three RBIs) and Devyn Allert (two-for-two with a walk, three runs scored and three RBIs). Wall added a double for the Hornets. Ray and Allert combined to to no-hit North Crawford while allowing zero runs and zero walks and three strikeouts with just one batter reaching base (by hit-by-pitch) as Ray earned the win.
Following this past Monday’s doubleheader at Weston, the Hornets travel to Ithaca this Thursday for another Ridge & Valley Conference doubleheader.
