BRODHEAD - When Brodhead senior ace pitcher Amanda Pickel pulled her quad in the first inning against Beloit Turner, Brodhead coach B.J. Bockhop had a decision to make.
He turned to sophomore Brooke Boegli as a relief pitcher and slotted freshman Amber Pickel, Amanda's sister, in the lead off spot. The moves worked, as the Cardinals took the state's second-ranked team to the brink before losing a nail-biter in the seventh inning 4-3.
"(Boegli) hasn't thrown in two weeks and she came out and shut them down," Bockhop said.
Brodhead (15-7, 12-4 Rock Valley South) had three hits off Beloit Turner's Kelsie Packard. Amber Pickel hit a solo home run in the first and senior Taurie Burns had a home run in the sixth. Packard pitched a complete game and struck out 12 while walking three.
"It was the hardest hit ball I have ever seen hit in Brodhead," Bockhop said of Bruns' home run.
Boegli pitched 6 2/3 innings and gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits. She struck out two and walked one.
Beloit Turner's Kayla Washburn went 2-for-4 and had the game-winning RBI single in the seventh to give the Trojans the win.
Barneveld 1, Argyle 0
BARNEVELD - The Argyle softball team dropped a pitcher's duel to Barneveld Tuesday night, 1-0.
Jessica Treuthardt started for Argyle and pitched six innings, giving up six hits and one unearned run. Kristen Udelhofen pitched for Barneveld and pitched seven innings, giving up just two hits while striking out nine.
"Both (Treuthardt and Udelhofen) were moving the ball around real well. Both pitchers were on their game. They kept the batters off balance," said Argyle coach Dan Treuthardt. "Jessica started off real well. She was really working her changeup. Udelhofen pitched a good game too. We had a few good contacts. The wind was blowing in. Kayla Ostby would have had a home run, but it got pushed back. Alysha Monahan had one that probably would have been out too. With the wind blowing in, that's how it works."
Argyle (13-13, 5-5 Six Rivers East) wrapped up the regular season Tuesday night and now prepares to host Six River East foe Juda-Albany in the first round of the playoffs on Thursday. The two teams split in the regular season. Treuthardt said the game will be decided at the plate.
"We gotta play a good game. They play solid ball," he said. "The first time (we played them), we hit (Juda-Albany pitcher) Tabatha (Davis) pretty good. The second game, she pitched real well. It will depend on our hitting. Our defense has seemed to have steadied up the last few games. Tonight we had trouble getting some line shots (at the plate). We gotta play good, solid ball."
Belmont 8, Juda-Albany 1
BELMONT - Juda-Albany battled with Belmont, the second-ranked team in Division 4, Tuesday night, but the Panthers were unable to spring the upset.
The Panthers struck first offensively, as they took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Belmont scored three in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead into the fifth. Juda-Albany had a chance to strike in the top of the fifth, with the bases loaded and just one out, but the Panthers hit into a double play to end the threat. Belmont then tacked on five in the sixth inning to seal the win.
"That was kind of our demise," Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis said of the inning-ending double play.
Tabatha Davis started for Juda-Albany and pitched five and one-third innings. She gave up six runs and seven hits. Kayln Kamps pitched for Belmont.
"We didn't have timely hitting. (Kamps) is a decent pitcher," said Bill Davis.
Molly Marass was 3-for-4 at the plate for Juda-Albany and Tabatha Davis was 2-for-4.
Bill Davis said one thing that really hurt his team was their five errors in the field.
"You are seeing some of the things we need to do to win those types of games," he said.
Juda-Albany (9-9, 5-5 Six River East) travels to Argyle on Thursday for a regional game with the Orioles.
He turned to sophomore Brooke Boegli as a relief pitcher and slotted freshman Amber Pickel, Amanda's sister, in the lead off spot. The moves worked, as the Cardinals took the state's second-ranked team to the brink before losing a nail-biter in the seventh inning 4-3.
"(Boegli) hasn't thrown in two weeks and she came out and shut them down," Bockhop said.
Brodhead (15-7, 12-4 Rock Valley South) had three hits off Beloit Turner's Kelsie Packard. Amber Pickel hit a solo home run in the first and senior Taurie Burns had a home run in the sixth. Packard pitched a complete game and struck out 12 while walking three.
"It was the hardest hit ball I have ever seen hit in Brodhead," Bockhop said of Bruns' home run.
Boegli pitched 6 2/3 innings and gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits. She struck out two and walked one.
Beloit Turner's Kayla Washburn went 2-for-4 and had the game-winning RBI single in the seventh to give the Trojans the win.
Barneveld 1, Argyle 0
BARNEVELD - The Argyle softball team dropped a pitcher's duel to Barneveld Tuesday night, 1-0.
Jessica Treuthardt started for Argyle and pitched six innings, giving up six hits and one unearned run. Kristen Udelhofen pitched for Barneveld and pitched seven innings, giving up just two hits while striking out nine.
"Both (Treuthardt and Udelhofen) were moving the ball around real well. Both pitchers were on their game. They kept the batters off balance," said Argyle coach Dan Treuthardt. "Jessica started off real well. She was really working her changeup. Udelhofen pitched a good game too. We had a few good contacts. The wind was blowing in. Kayla Ostby would have had a home run, but it got pushed back. Alysha Monahan had one that probably would have been out too. With the wind blowing in, that's how it works."
Argyle (13-13, 5-5 Six Rivers East) wrapped up the regular season Tuesday night and now prepares to host Six River East foe Juda-Albany in the first round of the playoffs on Thursday. The two teams split in the regular season. Treuthardt said the game will be decided at the plate.
"We gotta play a good game. They play solid ball," he said. "The first time (we played them), we hit (Juda-Albany pitcher) Tabatha (Davis) pretty good. The second game, she pitched real well. It will depend on our hitting. Our defense has seemed to have steadied up the last few games. Tonight we had trouble getting some line shots (at the plate). We gotta play good, solid ball."
Belmont 8, Juda-Albany 1
BELMONT - Juda-Albany battled with Belmont, the second-ranked team in Division 4, Tuesday night, but the Panthers were unable to spring the upset.
The Panthers struck first offensively, as they took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Belmont scored three in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead into the fifth. Juda-Albany had a chance to strike in the top of the fifth, with the bases loaded and just one out, but the Panthers hit into a double play to end the threat. Belmont then tacked on five in the sixth inning to seal the win.
"That was kind of our demise," Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis said of the inning-ending double play.
Tabatha Davis started for Juda-Albany and pitched five and one-third innings. She gave up six runs and seven hits. Kayln Kamps pitched for Belmont.
"We didn't have timely hitting. (Kamps) is a decent pitcher," said Bill Davis.
Molly Marass was 3-for-4 at the plate for Juda-Albany and Tabatha Davis was 2-for-4.
Bill Davis said one thing that really hurt his team was their five errors in the field.
"You are seeing some of the things we need to do to win those types of games," he said.
Juda-Albany (9-9, 5-5 Six River East) travels to Argyle on Thursday for a regional game with the Orioles.
