MONROE - Brodhead's Payton Wright remained a fixture at second base during the high school softball season. This summer, she's getting the opportunity to step up as a pitcher.
With Brodhead ace pitcher Brooke Boegli playing with a traveling softball team at a tournament, Wright took advantage of her pitching opportunity and pitched Brodhead to a 10-5 win over Evansville in a Monroe Fastpitch league game Sunday, July 7. Wright gave up just two earned runs on six hits. She struck out eight and walked two.
"It's a lot more pressure (pitching than playing second base), but I like pressure," Wright said. "I think I thrive off of it."
She hasn't had a lot of pitching experience in high school games, but she is getting innings this summer and could serve as Brodhead's No. 2 pitcher next spring when she's not playing second base.
"I have been pitching a lot more this summer," Wright said. "I just need to work on hitting my spots and being more consistent."
The Cardinals (2-2-1) got off to an inauspicious start in the first inning, committing two errors that led to four runs for the Blue Devils. It wouldn't take the Cardinals long to rally from a 4-0 deficit.
The Cardinals battled back with a five-run third to take the lead. Wright led off the third with a walk and Taylor Gerlach singled. Cameron Novy, who went 2-for-4, delivered a two-run double to left to cut the Blue Devils' lead to 4-3. Blake Boegli, who went 1-for-2 with two walks, three stolen bases and three runs scored, walked. Cassie McGuire and Caitlynn Novy also both walked to load the bases. Alyssa Henkel then ripped a two-run single to give the Cardinals a 6-4 lead.
"We had a lot of girls out of position and we were missing three starters," Brodhead coach Marty Wright said. "It's a good experience for these girls. They hung in there after that first inning and battled back there. They swung the bats really well. They just made some contact. We just have to get that through their head. If they make contact, some good things will happen."
The Cardinals used their speed to run into two runs in the fourth. Cameron Novy singled and Boegli reached on an error. Boegli stole second and Novy scored when the ball sailed into center field. McGuire walked and when she stole second, Boegli scored to give the Cardinals an 8-5 lead. Boegli also came through with a two-run single to put the game away in the sixth.
"We will have to create some runs and play some small ball next year," Marty Wright said. "I think our girls did a great job of that tonight. They proved they could do it."
Payton Wright cruised as the game went on. She retired 12 of the last 15 batters.
"It feels good to know that I have a good team behind me," Wright said. "It feels good to know that I have people behind me who will stick up for me."
With Brodhead ace pitcher Brooke Boegli playing with a traveling softball team at a tournament, Wright took advantage of her pitching opportunity and pitched Brodhead to a 10-5 win over Evansville in a Monroe Fastpitch league game Sunday, July 7. Wright gave up just two earned runs on six hits. She struck out eight and walked two.
"It's a lot more pressure (pitching than playing second base), but I like pressure," Wright said. "I think I thrive off of it."
She hasn't had a lot of pitching experience in high school games, but she is getting innings this summer and could serve as Brodhead's No. 2 pitcher next spring when she's not playing second base.
"I have been pitching a lot more this summer," Wright said. "I just need to work on hitting my spots and being more consistent."
The Cardinals (2-2-1) got off to an inauspicious start in the first inning, committing two errors that led to four runs for the Blue Devils. It wouldn't take the Cardinals long to rally from a 4-0 deficit.
The Cardinals battled back with a five-run third to take the lead. Wright led off the third with a walk and Taylor Gerlach singled. Cameron Novy, who went 2-for-4, delivered a two-run double to left to cut the Blue Devils' lead to 4-3. Blake Boegli, who went 1-for-2 with two walks, three stolen bases and three runs scored, walked. Cassie McGuire and Caitlynn Novy also both walked to load the bases. Alyssa Henkel then ripped a two-run single to give the Cardinals a 6-4 lead.
"We had a lot of girls out of position and we were missing three starters," Brodhead coach Marty Wright said. "It's a good experience for these girls. They hung in there after that first inning and battled back there. They swung the bats really well. They just made some contact. We just have to get that through their head. If they make contact, some good things will happen."
The Cardinals used their speed to run into two runs in the fourth. Cameron Novy singled and Boegli reached on an error. Boegli stole second and Novy scored when the ball sailed into center field. McGuire walked and when she stole second, Boegli scored to give the Cardinals an 8-5 lead. Boegli also came through with a two-run single to put the game away in the sixth.
"We will have to create some runs and play some small ball next year," Marty Wright said. "I think our girls did a great job of that tonight. They proved they could do it."
Payton Wright cruised as the game went on. She retired 12 of the last 15 batters.
"It feels good to know that I have a good team behind me," Wright said. "It feels good to know that I have people behind me who will stick up for me."
