BRODHEAD - Despite not hitting the ball out of the infield with runners on base in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Brodhead softball team pushed across two runs to pull out a 4-2 season-opening win over McFarland Thursday.
"I wasn't happy to see McFarland on the schedule for the first game after some rainouts," Brodhead coach Steve Krupke said. "We knew McFarland would be a test. We didn't play our best game. We did what we had to do to get a win. I will take a win over McFarland any day."
Locked in a tie at 2 in the fifth, Brodhead junior Tia Collins, who went 3-for-4, singled. Freshman Amanda Pickel walked, and then the adventure started.
After McFarland's Alyssa Hinze struck out Erika Stampfli and Riley Olson with the bases loaded, it looked like she and the Spartans would work their way out of a jam. Brodhead junior Jana Covert, who gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run single, was in the middle of the scoring opportunity in the fifth. With the bases loaded, Covert hit a grounder off McFarland third baseman Kayla Potts' glove to shortstop Jenna Blaser. Blaser threw to third to force out Pickel. However, the ball popped out of Potts' glove and Pickel beat the force out, meanwhile, Collins scored the go-ahead run to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead. Junior Mariah Mohns was then hit by a pitch to give the Cardinals an insurance run.
"If we don't get that second runner from second over, we don't even score that second run," Krupke said. "At the time we were just striking out too much and we needed to make contact. I told the girls to just make contact and good things will happen."
Collins was the table setter at the top of the Cardinals' lineup. She had three stolen bases and scored two runs.
"She's the key to our offense," Krupke said of Collins. "She gets on base, she has good speed. For a leadoff hitter, I have a great one."
The Cardinals also had a stellar pitching performance from Stampfli. She pitched a complete game and struck out 12 to get the win. Stampfli gave up just one earned run on five hits. The Spartans battled back to tie the game at 2 in the fourth. Hinze singled and scored on Lauren Frazier's RBI triple. The Spartans tied the game at 2 when Frazier scored after an error when a throw to first sailed high.
"When you can't feel your fingertips, it's hard," Krupke said. "Controlling the ball in cold weather is hard. She will warm up when the weather warms up."
"I wasn't happy to see McFarland on the schedule for the first game after some rainouts," Brodhead coach Steve Krupke said. "We knew McFarland would be a test. We didn't play our best game. We did what we had to do to get a win. I will take a win over McFarland any day."
Locked in a tie at 2 in the fifth, Brodhead junior Tia Collins, who went 3-for-4, singled. Freshman Amanda Pickel walked, and then the adventure started.
After McFarland's Alyssa Hinze struck out Erika Stampfli and Riley Olson with the bases loaded, it looked like she and the Spartans would work their way out of a jam. Brodhead junior Jana Covert, who gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run single, was in the middle of the scoring opportunity in the fifth. With the bases loaded, Covert hit a grounder off McFarland third baseman Kayla Potts' glove to shortstop Jenna Blaser. Blaser threw to third to force out Pickel. However, the ball popped out of Potts' glove and Pickel beat the force out, meanwhile, Collins scored the go-ahead run to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead. Junior Mariah Mohns was then hit by a pitch to give the Cardinals an insurance run.
"If we don't get that second runner from second over, we don't even score that second run," Krupke said. "At the time we were just striking out too much and we needed to make contact. I told the girls to just make contact and good things will happen."
Collins was the table setter at the top of the Cardinals' lineup. She had three stolen bases and scored two runs.
"She's the key to our offense," Krupke said of Collins. "She gets on base, she has good speed. For a leadoff hitter, I have a great one."
The Cardinals also had a stellar pitching performance from Stampfli. She pitched a complete game and struck out 12 to get the win. Stampfli gave up just one earned run on five hits. The Spartans battled back to tie the game at 2 in the fourth. Hinze singled and scored on Lauren Frazier's RBI triple. The Spartans tied the game at 2 when Frazier scored after an error when a throw to first sailed high.
"When you can't feel your fingertips, it's hard," Krupke said. "Controlling the ball in cold weather is hard. She will warm up when the weather warms up."
