Bulldogs’ softball team struggles for wins, lose four of six games

After an impressive pair of wins to open the season, the Boyceville softball team suddenly found itself struggling for wins in its second week of action.

The Bulldogs lost four of six contests last week including three conference games.

Elk Mound blanked Boyceville at home 12-0 a week ago Monday, April 12 which was followed by a 7-4 loss in Somerset the following day and a 8-3 setback in Colfax on Thursday, April 14.

The Lady Bulldogs seemed to right the ship with a pair of wins at home Saturday, April 16. Boyceville edged Cumberland 6-5 and beat St. Croix Falls 12-6 in a triangular at Pafko Park.

But Boyceville found itself back on the wrong side of the score again this past Monday when Durand played at Pafko. The Panthers earned a 6-1 win in the April 18 contest.

Boyceville will host three home games this coming week. Pepin/Alma will be at Pafko this Thursday, April 21 followed by Mondovi next Monday, April 25 and a non-conference game with Cameron on Tuesday, April 26.

Elk Mound

After big wins on the road, Boyceville returned to Pafko to play defending Dunn-St. Croix conference champion Elk Mound.

Home, however, wasn’t so sweet for the Lady Bulldogs.

Mounders’ senior pitcher Abbey Olsen threw a one-hit shutout as the visitors blanked the Bulldogs 12-0. Olsen struck out nine and did not issue a walk in the five-inning victory.

Starter Katie Kegan went three and a third innings in a losing effort. She surrendered eight runs on five hits and three strike outs. Jenna Beyrer worked an inning and two thirds giving up just one hit but four runs. Both Boyceville pitchers walked five batters. Eight of the 12 runs were earned

The Bulldogs also committed six errors.

Elk Mound had a pair of runs in the first, second and fourth innings for a six to nothing lead.

But in the top of the fifth, the Mounders scored six times off of three hits including a Madysen Borofka double and three walks aided by three Boyceville fielding errors.

The Bulldogs’ lone hits – a lead-off single by Jenna Beyrer – came in the fourth. Beyrer was left stranded as Olsen retired the next three batters.

Somerset

Boyceville trailed 3-0 and 4-2 when it played a non-conference game at Somerset Tuesday, April 12.

Boyceville scored twice in the top of the fifth to knot the game at four.

But the Spartans scored a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning and added an insurance run in the sixth en route to a 7-4 win.

Despite getting just one hit in the seven inning game, the Bulldogs stayed close by taking advantage of a Somerset error and eight walks.

Somerset drew first blood with three runs in the bottom of the second inning.

Boyceville got a pair of runs back as Kayla Hoff and McKenna Weber scored after reaching on an error and a walk respectively.

The Spartans added a run in the fourth.

The very next inning, Boyceville got the equalizers with off a pair of walks and another Spartan error that allowed Weber and Peyton Hellmann to score.

But Somerset countered with three runs in the next two innings for the win.

Katie Kegan allowed seven runs on eight hits to suffer the loss for Boyceville.

Kylie Krueger had the Bulldogs’ only hit – a single in the fourth.

Colfax

One big inning cost the Bulldogs the game when they traveled to Colfax for a conference game Thursday, April 14.

Trailing one to nothing, the Vikings’ offense came to life in the bottom of the fourth. Colfax collected five of its eight hits off Boyceville starter Katie Kegan including a Mikaela Liebfried double to score seven times. Boyceville also committed three errors in the inning.

Colfax added a run in the sixth for a 8-1 lead. Boyceville scored twice in the top of the seventh as Peyton Hellmann single and Jenna Beyrer walked. Maddy Bygd knocked in both runners with a double.

But Tamara Huffman retired the side for the complete game victory while Katie Kegan took the loss.

A three-for-four performance by Bygd accounted for half of the Bulldogs’ six hits.

Boyceville Triangular

The Bulldogs snapped their three-game skid with a pair of wins in a home triangular with Cumberland and St. Croix Falls.

Boyceville nipped the Beavers 6-5 and downed the Saints 12-6 for a pair of much needed wins.

Trailing 3-2 heading into the seventh inning, the Bulldogs (the guest team) scored four runs thanks to hits by Hellmann, Bygd, Morgan Kuhn and Kylie Krueger.

Cumberland scored twice in the bottom half before Katie Kegan, the winning pitcher, was able to get the Beavers to fly out to end the game.

Boyceville held a slight advantage in hits over Cumberland, 11-10.

In the second game, Boyceville banged out 12 hits and scored 12 runs for the 12-6 win over St. Croix Falls.

Peyton Hellmann went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI, Jenna Beyrer had two hit is an many plate appearances and McKenna Weber was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.

Kegan picked up the her second pitching victory of the day with four solid innings with Kylie Krueger throwing three innings of relief.

Boyceville scored six times in the second, three runs in the fourth, once in the fifth and twice more in the seventh to beat St. Croix Falls.

Durand

Durand held a slim 1-0 lead through four innings of play against Boyceville at Pafko Park Monday, April 18.

But the Panthers scored three times in the fifth and twice more in the sixth to extend its advantage to six nothing.

The Bulldogs scored their only run in the bottom half of the seventh to lose 6-1.

Durand pitcher Joselyn Hurburt allowed just two hits for the win while Katie Kegan took the loss for the Bulldogs, giving up eight hits.

No other stats or information was available for Boyceville.