On Monday, May 9th, the Belleville Wildcats softball team played Lake Mills and won, 3-1.

Lake Mills started off by scoring in the third inning, but the Wildcats came back in the fourth inning and scored two runs. “Tara Hanna led off with a walk, then stole 2nd,” Coach Connie Wunschel explained. “The throw by the catcher got past the bag and Tara was able to get to 3rd. Miranda O’Rourke then hit a grounder back to the pitcher for the first out. Bailey Legler then stayed hot and hit a liner to the right side to score Tara. Brianna Halverson then had a base hit between 3rd and short for runners at 1st and 2nd. Leah Blask then popped out to the catcher for out number two. Kori Rogers had a base hit to load the bases. Alli Kowalski came up with an RBI single to center to score Bailey. Tried to get Brianna in as well, but she was gunned down by their center fielder for the third out.”

The Wildcats third run came in the sixth inning when Brianna Halverson had a base hit to left, followed by a base hit by Leah Blask right up the middle, which moved Halverson to 3rd. Anna Nolden hit a grounder to 2nd to score Halverson.

“Their pitcher was of slower speed and we really struggled to hit off her, managing only nine hits,” said Wunschel. “There were a couple of nice hard shots to the outfield, but they were either right to their fielder, or they ran it down to make an impressive catch. We left nine runners on base, and were helped by their four errors. We had runners on base every inning but the third.”

Cassidy Heller pitched for the Wildcats, facing 31 batters, striking out nine, walking three and gave up one unearned run on seven hits.

Brianna Halverson went 2-3, with one run scored. Kori Rogers was 1-2. Tara Hanna was 1-3, with one run scored and two stolen bases. All but two Wildcat batters had a base hit.

“It was a dark and stormy night...not to mention really cold!” said Coach Wunschel about the game against Lodi on May 13th, where Belleville lost 16-3 in five innings.

“Lodi came out to play that night,” continued Wunschel, “the weather didn’t bother them much.”

The Wildcats only managed four hits the entire game, made by Alli Kowalski, Cassidy Heller, Tara Hanna and Brianna Halverson. Hanna and Halverson both had RBIs, and Hanna added to her stolen base count - stealing 2nd in the second inning, to help get the first score of the game for the Wildcats.

Kori Rogers walked in the third inning, then stole 2nd. Alli Kowalski managed a base hit to left field, followed by Cassidy Heller’s hit to left to score Rogers. Heller was thrown out at 2nd and when Kowalski tried to sneak home, she was also thrown out. Tara Hanna had a hit that scored Ryley Hellwig, but Hanna was then forced out at 2nd.

The Wildcats were ahead 3-2 in the third inning, but Lodi’s batters turned up the heat and scored 7 in the third inning and 7 in the fourth.

“We were walked six times as their pitcher’s control wasn’t the best,” explains Wunschel. “We weren’t patient enough at times to take advantage of that. Overall, this wasn’t a fun night.”

Cassidy Heller took the loss on the mound. She gave up 16 hits, struck out three and walked one.

The Wildcats hosted Marshall on May 16th, and a DH against Cambridge on the 17th. They head to Waterloo on May 19th. They are 3-9 in the Capitol South and 4-12 overall.