Post Messenger Recorder -

On a cold and rainy Friday, the Wildcats softball team lost to Cambridge on the road, 7-2.

Belleville stranded eight difference-making runners on the bases throughout the game. Offensively, they scored their two runs in the second and seventh inning. Taylor Wallom went two for four with one run scored and two stolen bases while Tara Hannah had a double. Belleville had only five hits.

Taylor Kenkel had a solid game behind the plate for the Wildcat defense, getting a putout at second on a girl trying to steal and covering two bunts in front of the plate to get runners headed to first.

On the mound going the distance was Ryley Helwig, who faced 31 batters striking out six, walking seven, and giving up seven runs on five hits with two being earned runs.

“The biggest thing is to not walk the first batter in an inning as we did three times. Those three runners did score. We had two errors: one that could’ve ended an inning for us and kept them from scoring,” said Head Coach Connie Wunschel. “The girls are still learning. We just need to be a bit more alert and expecting, and those errors will go away.”

On Thursday, April 23, the Wildcat softball team lost 6-1 to Wisconsin Heights.

“I thought we played a very good game. Cassidy Heller’s pitch placement was much better, and we didn’t give up lots of runs in innings, like we have been,” Wunschel explained. “We did commit two untimely errors and had two passed balls which allowed them to score a couple runs. We did have a great double play in the third which helped shut down an inning that looked to go really bad for us.”

Starting on the mound was Heller who gave up seven hits and four runs while walking one and striking out eight; only four runs were earned. In the seventh inning, Helwig took over where she gave up one hit, two runs, struck out zero, and walked one.

At the plate, Alli Kowalski was two for three with one run scored on a passed ball and a double, and Heller was two for three. Miranda O’Rourke went one for three with a double while Claire Johnsrud went one for three also.

“If we could get our hitting going, and going together, we could produce runs. It will happen. I’ve seen the progress they have been making,” Wunschel exclaimed.