NEW GLARUS - Last year, Wisconsin Heights was an afterthought in softball after having to forfeit its season with only six players. Every game this year is a learning lesson on the diamond for the New Glarus softball team.
The Glarner Knights, after an 18-2 loss to Wisconsin Heights in five innings Tuesday, honored senior Jessica Schieldt on Senior Night and looked forward to turning around a softball team that dropped to 0-15, 0-9 Capitol South.
Nine of the 11 players for New Glarus are playing softball for the first time.
"It's still a feel good story that we are out here competing," New Glarus coach Robert Wahl said. "I know some people get caught up in the scores. We had to start from square one. We are happy with the progress we are making."
The Vanguards scored in about every way possible. The Knights committed four errors that led to four runs. The Knights walked in three runs, gave up three runs on wild pitches, two on passed balls, one on a hit batter and one on a catcher's interference.
New Glarus freshman Emma Jackson pitched 1 2/3 innings and gave up 12 runs on four hits. Eight of the 10 batters she walked came around to score. The Vanguards broke the game open with an 11-run second inning. Jackson walked the first four batters in the second. The big blow in the second came on Wisconsin Heights' Kayla Nelson's two-run homer that gave the Vanguards a 6-0 lead.
Wisconsin Heights freshman Jenna Endres carried a no-hitter into the fourth. Schieldt broke up the no-hit bid when she lined a single off Endres. New Glarus junior Brooke Klassy followed with an infield single. Schieldt scored on a wild pitch. Klassy stole third and scored on freshman Hayley Latsch's sacrifice fly to cut the Vanguards' lead to 12-2.
"It's hard to keep coming back when a team scores a lot of runs," Wahl said. "They want to learn and are trying. It's not because of a lack of effort. I know we have a lot to learn."
The other bright spot for the Knights came from Klassy who pitched three innings in relief and gave up three runs on three hits. She didn't walk anyone. Klassy just started pitching this year.
She said the most challenging part of pitching is increasing the speed on her pitches.
"In practice I sometimes don't worry about accuracy," Klassy said. "I just worry about my speed which helps. I have already got a lot better."
Klassy hasn't let 15 straight losses or playing for a young team affect her.
"This is probably my favorite year because we all get along," she said. "It's unlike other years where we didn't always get along."
The Glarner Knights, after an 18-2 loss to Wisconsin Heights in five innings Tuesday, honored senior Jessica Schieldt on Senior Night and looked forward to turning around a softball team that dropped to 0-15, 0-9 Capitol South.
Nine of the 11 players for New Glarus are playing softball for the first time.
"It's still a feel good story that we are out here competing," New Glarus coach Robert Wahl said. "I know some people get caught up in the scores. We had to start from square one. We are happy with the progress we are making."
The Vanguards scored in about every way possible. The Knights committed four errors that led to four runs. The Knights walked in three runs, gave up three runs on wild pitches, two on passed balls, one on a hit batter and one on a catcher's interference.
New Glarus freshman Emma Jackson pitched 1 2/3 innings and gave up 12 runs on four hits. Eight of the 10 batters she walked came around to score. The Vanguards broke the game open with an 11-run second inning. Jackson walked the first four batters in the second. The big blow in the second came on Wisconsin Heights' Kayla Nelson's two-run homer that gave the Vanguards a 6-0 lead.
Wisconsin Heights freshman Jenna Endres carried a no-hitter into the fourth. Schieldt broke up the no-hit bid when she lined a single off Endres. New Glarus junior Brooke Klassy followed with an infield single. Schieldt scored on a wild pitch. Klassy stole third and scored on freshman Hayley Latsch's sacrifice fly to cut the Vanguards' lead to 12-2.
"It's hard to keep coming back when a team scores a lot of runs," Wahl said. "They want to learn and are trying. It's not because of a lack of effort. I know we have a lot to learn."
The other bright spot for the Knights came from Klassy who pitched three innings in relief and gave up three runs on three hits. She didn't walk anyone. Klassy just started pitching this year.
She said the most challenging part of pitching is increasing the speed on her pitches.
"In practice I sometimes don't worry about accuracy," Klassy said. "I just worry about my speed which helps. I have already got a lot better."
Klassy hasn't let 15 straight losses or playing for a young team affect her.
"This is probably my favorite year because we all get along," she said. "It's unlike other years where we didn't always get along."
