NEW GLARUS - If the New Glarus softball team could bottle up the solid defense they played Tuesday and combine it with clutch hitting and pitching performances, the Glarner Knights would have the winning formula.
"Hopefully, our bats are coming around a little," New Glarus coach Robert Wahl said after a 13-3 loss to the Wildcats. "We have played perfect half-games. You have to play two of them."
The loss came on the heels of a 17-hit attack and a rally before the Knights fell to Faith Christian 14-12 Monday.
Belleville (5-3, 2-1 Capitol South) batted around the order in a six-run first off New Glarus senior starting pitcher Calsea Garbe. Belleville freshman Riley Rung, who was 2-for-2 with a walk, led off with a single. Junior Olivia Ace followed with a single and Samantha Froehlich walked. Junior Quinn Rear, who was 2-for-4 with four RBIs drove in the first run on a sacrifice fly. Leigh Baker had an RBI single that gave the Wildcats a 2-0 lead. Michelle Deegan, who was 3-for-5 with three RBIs, delivered a two-run single that gave the Wildcats a 4-0 lead.
After coming back and beating Beloit Turner 7-6 with a four-run seventh Monday, the Wildcats used a 14-hit attack to defeat the Knights.
"I think that spilled over to tonight," Belleville coach Jon Benash said. "We got a little lazy in the middle of the game as far as our plate discipline."
The Knights (0-11, 0-4) battled back from a 6-0 deficit in the second. New Glarus senior Nicole Berndt, who was 2-for-3, singled to right. Kaylee Plantikow walked. Fellow senior Kelsey Schmidt, who was 2-for-3, came through with a two-out, RBI single to cut the Wildcats' lead to 6-1.
The Wildcats added to their lead in the third. Carly Gillam crushed a double to left. Nicole Pankonin knocked her in on a fielder's choice. The big blow in the third came on Rear's three-run single that gave the Wildcats a 10-1 lead.
After a rocky first inning, Garbe settled down and limited the damage on the mound. Garbe, who is in her first year pitching, went seven innings and gave up seven earned runs on 14 hits. Six of the 11 batters she walked came around to score. Garbe limited the Wildcats to three runs on three hits over the last four innings.
"Without a JV team and a youth program, I'm just proud some of these seniors came out," Wahl said. "It's just that there are no easy games. We are getting better. We are learning. We didn't have any errors."
The Knights rallied in their half of the third. New Glarus junior Alexa Secord singled to center and sophomore Brooke Klassy followed with a single to center. Secord stole third and she scored when Garbe grounded out. Plantikow then hit an RBI single to slice the Wildcats' lead to 10-3.
Belleville sophomore Darien Woods pitched a complete game and gave up three earned runs on eight hits. She struck out four and walked five.
"She doesn't get a lot of reps as the No. 2 pitcher," Benash said. "She pitched a whale of a game. I can't say enough about her. She came out firing."
New Glarus fell behind 8-1 after the second inning against Faith Christian Monday. The Knights rallied from the seven-run deficit and a 14-5 deficit.
"They were on the verge of 10-running us," Wahl said.
That's when the Knights' offense got going. The Knights scored one run in the fifth, two in the sixth and four in the seventh, but left the bases loaded all three innings.
New Glarus junior Jessica Schieldt went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and Secord also was 4-for-5. Schmidt went 2-for-4 with four RBIs and Garbe was 3-for-4.
"Hopefully, our bats are coming around a little," New Glarus coach Robert Wahl said after a 13-3 loss to the Wildcats. "We have played perfect half-games. You have to play two of them."
The loss came on the heels of a 17-hit attack and a rally before the Knights fell to Faith Christian 14-12 Monday.
Belleville (5-3, 2-1 Capitol South) batted around the order in a six-run first off New Glarus senior starting pitcher Calsea Garbe. Belleville freshman Riley Rung, who was 2-for-2 with a walk, led off with a single. Junior Olivia Ace followed with a single and Samantha Froehlich walked. Junior Quinn Rear, who was 2-for-4 with four RBIs drove in the first run on a sacrifice fly. Leigh Baker had an RBI single that gave the Wildcats a 2-0 lead. Michelle Deegan, who was 3-for-5 with three RBIs, delivered a two-run single that gave the Wildcats a 4-0 lead.
After coming back and beating Beloit Turner 7-6 with a four-run seventh Monday, the Wildcats used a 14-hit attack to defeat the Knights.
"I think that spilled over to tonight," Belleville coach Jon Benash said. "We got a little lazy in the middle of the game as far as our plate discipline."
The Knights (0-11, 0-4) battled back from a 6-0 deficit in the second. New Glarus senior Nicole Berndt, who was 2-for-3, singled to right. Kaylee Plantikow walked. Fellow senior Kelsey Schmidt, who was 2-for-3, came through with a two-out, RBI single to cut the Wildcats' lead to 6-1.
The Wildcats added to their lead in the third. Carly Gillam crushed a double to left. Nicole Pankonin knocked her in on a fielder's choice. The big blow in the third came on Rear's three-run single that gave the Wildcats a 10-1 lead.
After a rocky first inning, Garbe settled down and limited the damage on the mound. Garbe, who is in her first year pitching, went seven innings and gave up seven earned runs on 14 hits. Six of the 11 batters she walked came around to score. Garbe limited the Wildcats to three runs on three hits over the last four innings.
"Without a JV team and a youth program, I'm just proud some of these seniors came out," Wahl said. "It's just that there are no easy games. We are getting better. We are learning. We didn't have any errors."
The Knights rallied in their half of the third. New Glarus junior Alexa Secord singled to center and sophomore Brooke Klassy followed with a single to center. Secord stole third and she scored when Garbe grounded out. Plantikow then hit an RBI single to slice the Wildcats' lead to 10-3.
Belleville sophomore Darien Woods pitched a complete game and gave up three earned runs on eight hits. She struck out four and walked five.
"She doesn't get a lot of reps as the No. 2 pitcher," Benash said. "She pitched a whale of a game. I can't say enough about her. She came out firing."
New Glarus fell behind 8-1 after the second inning against Faith Christian Monday. The Knights rallied from the seven-run deficit and a 14-5 deficit.
"They were on the verge of 10-running us," Wahl said.
That's when the Knights' offense got going. The Knights scored one run in the fifth, two in the sixth and four in the seventh, but left the bases loaded all three innings.
New Glarus junior Jessica Schieldt went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and Secord also was 4-for-5. Schmidt went 2-for-4 with four RBIs and Garbe was 3-for-4.
