Glenwood City softball still searching for first win
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THE TOPPERS’ Sydney Grant is shown hitting a single during a May 2 home softball game against Elmwood/Plum City. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
Bad innings have cost the Glenwood City softball team dearly throughout this season and last week was no different.
The Hilltoppers gave up runs by the handfuls as it lost four games, all to conference foes, over the past week to remain winless in 2022.
It began at home last Monday, May 2 with a 23-8 drubbing at the hands of Elmwood/Plum City. A day later, Colfax came to town and dispatched the Toppers 16-6. Despite some better play in Durand last Thursday, Glenwood City still found itself on the wrong side of a 13-3 score. Returning home, however, was not the remedy the Toppers were hoping for as they were beat by rival Boyceville 24-11 in a Friday, May 6 contest. The Boyceville game is covered in elsewhere in this issue.
Prospects for a victory this coming week appeared slim as Glenwood City is scheduled to take on the conference co-leaders, Mondovi and Elk Mound. The Buffaloes were in town for a doubleheader this past Monday, May 9, while a trip to Elk Mound awaits this Thursday. The Toppers will then close out the regular season in Spring Valley next Monday, May 16 and at home against Turtle Lake/Clayton the following day.
Elmwood/Plum City
Glenwood City took an early 6-1 advantage on the visiting Wolves of Elmwood/Plum City May 2.
The Hilltoppers plated four runs in the bottom of the first as they took advantage of a couple of walks, an error and a couple of hits including freshman Izzy Davis’ run-scoring double.
In the second inning, junior Alex Peterson laced a double to score a pair for a five-run Glenwood City lead.
But then the proverbial wheels came off for Glenwood City when Elmwood/Plum City scored nine runs in the top of the third to take the lead for good.
The Wolves added five more in the top of the fourth with the Toppers taking back a pair in their half of that inning on a Madison Caress double.
Elmwood/ Plum City, however, plated eight more runs in the fifth for the 23-8 victory.
The Wolves finished with 17 hits compared to five for the Hilltoppers.
Sophomore hurler Maddie Klatt started in the throwing circle and went three inning, giving up nine hits and ten runs to take the loss. She stuck out three and walked one. Freshman Jenna McCarthy threw the final two innings as she surrendered eight hits and 13 runs, striking out one while issuing three walks.
Madison Caress led the Toppers’ at bats, finishing 2-for-2 with an RBI double and three runs scored. Izzy Davis and Alex Peterson each had a double while Michaela Blaser had the team’s other hit.
Colfax
The Vikings jumped on the Hilltoppers early in their May 3 contest as they scored eight runs in the top of the first.
Colfax held leads of 8-0, 9-1 and 12-6 and put things away in the sixth with four more runs against Glenwood City.
Glenwood City got on the scoreboard in the third when Sydney Grant walked and later scored on a Jenna McCarthy single.
The Hilltoppers added two in the fourth thanks to an error, a hits batsman and a Madison Caress single and then tacked on three more runs in the fourth highlighted by a Libby Wagner single.
Maddie Klatt started in the pitcher circle but took the loss when she was knocked from the game after just one inning as Colfax collected six hits for eight runs off of her. McCarthy threw the final five innings also surrendering eight runs on six hits with four Ks and five walks.
Caress and McCarthy each went 2-for-4 batting to account for four of Glenwood City’s five hits.
Durand
The Toppers trailed just 4-3 going into the bottom of the fourth during its game at Durand Thursday, May 5.
But some Glenwood City fielding errors coupled with timely Panther hits allowed the hosts to score four runs in its half of the fourth and five more in the fifth for the 13-3 win.
After surrendering four runs in the first to Durand, Glenwood City scored a pair in the second when Libby Wagner and Sydney Grant had back-to-back singles to reach base. Jenna McCarthy then unloaded a double that scored both Grant and Wagner. Then in the fourth Avery Rubenzer led off with a hit and scored to make it 4-3.
The Toppers finished with seven hits including two by Grant while Durand finished with 11 including nine off starter Jenna McCarthy who went 4 1/3 to suffer the loss after giving up 11 runs. Maddie Klatt pitched just 1/3 of an inning but gave up a pair of runs on two hits.