EVANSVILLE - Sophomore pitcher Erika Stampfli has had a remarkable career at Brodhead so far. Adding another no-hitter to her resume was only a matter of time.
Stampfli came within one walk of a perfect game, and the Cardinals (5-2) won via the mercy rule against Evansville, 10-0 on Tuesday.
"If I were Evansville, I wouldn't want to face a hard thrower in the cold," head coach Steve Krupke said.
Stampfli started the game on fire - despite the cold, windy and rainy conditions - by striking out the side in the first inning.
"I knew that from there I would be fine," she said.
The sophomore's dominance on the mound, which included nine strikeouts, allowed the offense to settle in at the plate.
"We hadn't seen that pitcher before, and Erika gave us time to adjust. And we adjusted," Krupke said. "We could have just come here and sat around with the weather the way it was, but we came here and the girls did what they needed to do."
Stampfli admitted that the run-scoring from the offense allowed her to relax with a bulk of the weight off of her shoulders.
"I'm just so glad my team was behind me, I never would have been able to do it without them," she said. "It was huge to get a lead like that."
In the third inning, the bats came alive. Jordan Riese reached on an error and stole both second and third base. Courtney Mielke drove in Riese with a single and proceeded to get to third on consecutive passed balls.
Brooke Lederman scored Mielke on a two-out single and Riley Olson drove in Lederman and Ashley Johnson with a double off the right-center fence. Olson came home on a passed ball to bring the score to 5-0 by the end of the inning.
In the fourth, leadoff hitter Tia Collins singled and Riese reached on an error. Mielke drove in a run, and Brodhead left the inning ahead 7-0.
Johnson walked to start the fifth and final inning and preceded to get to third on back-to-back passed balls. After Olson was retired, Emily Strang and Collins both got on the base paths.
With the bases loaded, Riese singled in a run, and Mielke and Leah Hegi each grabbed RBIs via base-on-balls to give Brodhead the 10-run lead needed for the mercy rule.
"We woke up with our bats. I've been around long enough that when you can get a lead, it's easier to relax," Krupke said.
Defensively, Stampfli remained in control. Only once, in the second inning, were the Blue Devils within a step of reaching base. On a dropped third strike, the throw from Collins at catcher went awry, and Johnson managed to come down with the ball and beat the runner to the bag with her glove.
"Ashley Johnson had a great game at first base defensively. Absolutely unbelievable," Krupke said.
In the bottom of the fifth, the next potential base threat came up to the plate. Evansville's cleanup hitter hit a hot shot back at Stampfli. Using her body to maintain the no-hitter, she knocked down the ball and threw a perfect strike to first for the out.
Stampfli hit the next batter with just two outs left before perfection.
The third batter of the inning flew out to center, and the final out came on a steal attempt, as a falling Collins threw a dart to Mielke at second to end the game.
Lederman finished the game with two hits, five players reached base in the game with 22 plate appearances turning into base runners. Brodhead also walked eight times in the game.
"I think we can do better. I told the girls that I don't get teams like this very often. But we've had a couple hiccups along the way that I can't figure out," Krupke said. "I'm trying to figure out if I should get on them more, or what. Their attitudes are great, so I have to find a balance."
Stampfli came within one walk of a perfect game, and the Cardinals (5-2) won via the mercy rule against Evansville, 10-0 on Tuesday.
"If I were Evansville, I wouldn't want to face a hard thrower in the cold," head coach Steve Krupke said.
Stampfli started the game on fire - despite the cold, windy and rainy conditions - by striking out the side in the first inning.
"I knew that from there I would be fine," she said.
The sophomore's dominance on the mound, which included nine strikeouts, allowed the offense to settle in at the plate.
"We hadn't seen that pitcher before, and Erika gave us time to adjust. And we adjusted," Krupke said. "We could have just come here and sat around with the weather the way it was, but we came here and the girls did what they needed to do."
Stampfli admitted that the run-scoring from the offense allowed her to relax with a bulk of the weight off of her shoulders.
"I'm just so glad my team was behind me, I never would have been able to do it without them," she said. "It was huge to get a lead like that."
In the third inning, the bats came alive. Jordan Riese reached on an error and stole both second and third base. Courtney Mielke drove in Riese with a single and proceeded to get to third on consecutive passed balls.
Brooke Lederman scored Mielke on a two-out single and Riley Olson drove in Lederman and Ashley Johnson with a double off the right-center fence. Olson came home on a passed ball to bring the score to 5-0 by the end of the inning.
In the fourth, leadoff hitter Tia Collins singled and Riese reached on an error. Mielke drove in a run, and Brodhead left the inning ahead 7-0.
Johnson walked to start the fifth and final inning and preceded to get to third on back-to-back passed balls. After Olson was retired, Emily Strang and Collins both got on the base paths.
With the bases loaded, Riese singled in a run, and Mielke and Leah Hegi each grabbed RBIs via base-on-balls to give Brodhead the 10-run lead needed for the mercy rule.
"We woke up with our bats. I've been around long enough that when you can get a lead, it's easier to relax," Krupke said.
Defensively, Stampfli remained in control. Only once, in the second inning, were the Blue Devils within a step of reaching base. On a dropped third strike, the throw from Collins at catcher went awry, and Johnson managed to come down with the ball and beat the runner to the bag with her glove.
"Ashley Johnson had a great game at first base defensively. Absolutely unbelievable," Krupke said.
In the bottom of the fifth, the next potential base threat came up to the plate. Evansville's cleanup hitter hit a hot shot back at Stampfli. Using her body to maintain the no-hitter, she knocked down the ball and threw a perfect strike to first for the out.
Stampfli hit the next batter with just two outs left before perfection.
The third batter of the inning flew out to center, and the final out came on a steal attempt, as a falling Collins threw a dart to Mielke at second to end the game.
Lederman finished the game with two hits, five players reached base in the game with 22 plate appearances turning into base runners. Brodhead also walked eight times in the game.
"I think we can do better. I told the girls that I don't get teams like this very often. But we've had a couple hiccups along the way that I can't figure out," Krupke said. "I'm trying to figure out if I should get on them more, or what. Their attitudes are great, so I have to find a balance."
