BRODHEAD — With runners on first and second and a 9-run lead in the bottom of the fifth, Brodhead senior Jaelyn Hilliard knew what she needed to do to put the game away against Evansville.
The lefty slapper dropped down a bunt single, and catcher Grace Nienhaus’s throw went into the outfield, allowing Sophia Leitzen to score from third. The unearned run gave Brodhead a 10-0 win in a Rock Valley-Rock Conference game on Tuesday, April 23.
“He (Krupke) told me he wasn’t going to give me the bunt sign — to do whatever I want — but that he prefers a bunt,” Hilliard said of her conversation with head coach Steve Krupke before her at bat. “I told him the third baseman just heard you say that, and I knew she heard me say that, so she was expecting me to swing. I went up and bunted and tried to push it up first-base side.”
The Cardinals put themselves in position to win the game via run rule with a three-run first.
After starting pitcher Ava Risum struck out the side in the first, leadoff batter Leitzen reached on a four-pitch walk. Hilliard followed with a hit between the third baseman and shortstop, setting up an RBI opportunity for Risum. She hit the same hole as Hilliard, giving Brodhead a 1-0 lead.
Freshman Leah Rear drove in another run with a groundout to the right side, and Allie Dahl executed a safety squeeze for the third run of the inning.
Riusm had another clean inning in the second. She struck out the first batter of the inning on a change up in the dirt, and first baseman Tatum Ceslok scooped the dropped third throw from catcher Jerrica Schwartz. The next two batters went down on seven combined pitches.
Back-to-back doubles from Tessa Kloepping and Leitzen put another run on the board for Brodhead, making it 4-0.
Evansville’s Mackenzie Kostroun led off the third with a 2-2 double, but Risum bore down to keep her record clean. Risum got Neinhaus to ground out to third and struck out the next two batters.
Rear singled to the left side in the bottom of the frame. Much like the first inning, Krupke had Dahl square to bunt on the first pitch of her at bat. She pulled back on a low pitch but swung away on the second one, hitting a two-run home run that hit the top of the fence and bounced over.
“The first time up, we got a bunt down and got a run in. I think he (Krupke) wanted to try the same thing but that it wasn’t there right away, so just to swing at it,” Dahl said. “I honestly thought it was going to be a fly out. Then I saw it go out, and I was happy.”
Blue Devil pitcher Haley Ross limited the damage to just those two runs, as she sat down the next three batters in order.
Risum pitched another three-up, three-down inning in the fourth. Her mix of speed proved critical, as Risum retired Ross on back-to-back change ups.
After a groundout to start the fourth, Brodhead put its foot on the gas. Leadoff batter Leitzen took an outside pitch the other way for a single and advanced to second on a passed ball. Hilliard beat out an infield single, putting runners on first and third with one out.
Hilliard stole second, attempting to bait a throw from Nienhaus. The relay was cut off, putting two runners in scoring position. Risum then hit a towering ball to center that got caught in the wind. Outfielder Ava Vest couldn’t track it in, allowing Leitzen to score and Risum to stand on two. Hilliard had to stop at three, tagging up in case the ball was caught.
Rear then stepped up to the plate, and Krupke called timeout. Despite a 7-0 lead, he told Rear that he wanted her to practice a safety squeeze. The freshman delivered a bunt and reached on an error by first baseman Paige Harnack, allowing Hilliard and Risum to score.
“I think everyone here knows small ball is our game — we did it at state last year,” Hilliard said. “We need everyone on the team to be able to bunt, no matter how good of a hitter you are.”
Although Ross hit Dahl to put two runners on, she got out of the inning with two groundouts.
Risum kept the Blue Devils on their toes in the fifth, striking out the side for the third time. Two strikeouts came on half swings, where batters couldn’t make up their minds in time.
The quick inning put the bats back in the hands of the hot Cardinals. Kloepping lined a grounder that just got under the shortstop’s glove, and Leitzen drew a walk. Hilliard then dropped down a bunt to end the game.
Hilliard finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and the game-winning RBI. Leitzen reached base in all four of her at bats, tallying two hits and drawing two walks. Risum went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Dahl drove in three.
In the circle, Risum pitched a one-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts. With no walks or errors, the hit was the only blemish in the way of a perfect game.
In its first eight games, Brodhead has recorded five shutouts, including three no-hitters and a perfect game. Despite losing its ace pitcher and catcher combo from a state championship season in 2023, the No. 1 Cardinals are steadfastly defending their rank.
“I think a lot of people doubted us going into this year with what we lost,” Hilliard said, referencing Mckenna Young and Taetum Hoesly. “We did lose a lot, but we also gained a lot, too. This team meshes very well together.”
BRODHEAD 12, EDGERTON 0
EDGERTON — Risum pitched her second no-hitter of the season in a Rock Valley Conference game on Monday, April 22. She was just one walk away from a perfect game.
Dahl led the offense, going 3-for-4 with a triple, two runs scored and four RBIs. Leitzen was also 3-for-4, scoring two runs. Hilliard also recorded a multiple-hit game. Rear, who was 1-for-1, drew three walks.
