Amherst’s rally comes up short
By Greg Seubert
Holly Neumann photo.
Temperatures in the mid-30s made it feel like football weather more than softball weather, but the Iola-Scandinavia softball team opened Central Wisconsin-8 Conference play April 4 with an 11-6 win over Amherst.
The Thunderbirds also handed Wautoma an 8-2 loss March 29.
I-S 11, Amherst 6
IOLA – The T-Birds came up with five runs in the fifth inning to break open a 6-5 game that was moved from Amherst to Iola.
Kendall Johnson went the distance to earn the victory in less-than-ideal pitching conditions. She allowed nine hits and two walks while striking out five batters.
Jayden Podgorny, Kaylin Ellioff, Brooklyn Podgorny and Sadie Schustek each had two of the T-Birds’ 10 hits in the game. Ellioff and Honken doubled in a five-run first inning, driving in one and two runs, respectively. Schustek also drove in two runs in the inning on a single.
The T-Birds capitalized on four Amherst errors and Ellioff’s two-run single in the fifth. Johnson also had an RBI single in the inning.
Maizie Berry had three of Amherst’s nine hits, including two doubles. Samantha Yenter had two hits and drove in four runs and Grace Moe had a double.
I-S 8, Wautoma 2
WAUTOMA – Trailing 2-0 after three innings, the T-Birds used a five-run fifth inning to take the lead for good.
Johnson allowed four hits and one walk while striking out five batters to get the win. She also had three of her team’s 13 hits, including a double in the first inning and an RBI triple in the fifth. Ellioff, Honken, Schustek and Baleigh Fuhs each had two hits. Ellioff and Schustek drove in a run, while Fuhs drove in a pair of runs with her single in the fifth.
The T-Birds will host Wittenberg-Birnamwood Thursday, April 7, before closing out a four-game homestand Friday, April 8, against Rosholt. Both games are set to start at 4:30 p.m.
