Bulldog softball makes short work of Cards, Raiders

By Cara L. Dempski

Last week’s cold did not seem to bother the Lady Bulldogs.

The team traveled to Spring Valley April 18 for a frigid, windy match-up against the Cardinals that ended after three innings with the Boyceville squad taking the 18-2 win.

They then hosted Elmwood April 20. Senior Morgan Kuhn has a great night with four hits to help lead the Lady Bulldogs to a 13-4 win over the Raiders.

Boyceville is 2-3 in the Dunn-St. Croix and has an overall record of 5-4. They were scheduled to play at Glenwood City April 25, and will go to Plum City April 27. The Bulldogs will have little rest before going to Alma April 28, but then break for the weekend before taking on Durand at home May 1.

Spring Valley

Those poor birds probably never knew what hit them.

“The girls played a great game last night in frigid weather,” coach Jamie Olson said. “We scored early and often to run-rule them in the third.”

The Bulldogs collected 10 hits and hit numerous other balls in their April 18, 18-2 victory over the Spring Valley Cardinals in just three innings.

Hurling Heat — Freshman pitcher Tyra Kostman sends a fastball to the plate during the Bulldogs home game against Elmnwood on April 20. Kostman kept the Raiders’ batters off balance to earn the complete game win with six strike outs in Boyceville’s 13-4 win. —photo by Shawn DeWitt

Much like the 10-run rule after five innings, softball and baseball games can end after the third innings if a team is leading by 15 or more runs.

Coach Olson hoped to use the big win against the Cardinals to build some momentum and pick up some added confidence at the plate.

Boyceville picked up five runs in the first and second innings before chalking up another eight runs in the third. Spring Valley’s two runs came in the first inning.

Sophomore Jaida Peterson batted in four runners, while Madysn Riek and Brooklyn Hellmann were each credited with three RBIs. Kayla Hoff and Marissa Dormanen pushed in another two runners apiece, and Amber Retzloff and McKenna Weber each are credited with sending one runner home.

The Bulldogs enjoyed two-hit performances from Jaida Peterson, Brooklyn Hellmann, Madysn Riek and Kayla Hoff. One of Riek’s hits went for a double

Tyra Kostman was back in the circle after being clocked with a line drive in the Bulldogs’ game against Elk Mound last week. She pitched three innings and allowed two runs on two hits while logging two strikeouts.

BOYCEVILLE 18, SPRING VALLEY 2
Boyceville………………………5  5  8  0 — 18
Spring Valley…………………2  0  0  0 — 2

Elmwood

Call her the single kid.

Morgan Kuhn hit a single in the second, third, fifth and sixth to take credit for a pair of runs batted in and four runs in the Bulldogs 13-4 walloping of the Raiders April 20.

Kuhn’s 4-for-5 performance in the batter’s box was complimented by Madysn Riek, Marissa Dormanen and Brooklyn Hellmann who all had a pair of hits including a double by Dormanen.

Boyceville outslugged the Raiders 11 to eight in an error-filled contest that had 10 misques (6 by the Raiders and 4 from the Bulldogs).

THROWING TO FIRST for an out was Boyceville second baseman Jaida Peterson during an April 20 home softball win over the Elmwood Raiders. —photo by Shawn DeWitt

The only inning in which the Boyceville ladies could not score was the fourth, when Elmwood looked to be making a move to improve its position in the game by picking up a run. Unfortunately for the Raiders, the run in the fourth was the last one they would earn in the game.

Amber Retzloff and Kayla Hoff kicked things off for the Bulldogs with a pair of runs in the first, which were matched by Elmwood when their batters stepped up to the plate. Kuhn, Brooklyn Hellmann and Jaida Peterson were all pushed home in the second, while Kuhn, Marissa Dormanen, McKenna Weber, Peterson and Tori Kostman put up a five-run inning in the third.

Kuhn and Madysn Riek scored in the fifth, before Peterson crossed the plate again in the sixth to make the score 13-4.

Tyra Kostman spent all seven innings in the circle again, allowing nine hits and striking out five.

ELMWOOD 4, BOYCEVILLE 13
Elmwood…………….2  0  1  1  0  0  0 —  4
Boyceville……………2  3  5  0  2  1  0 — 13