A busy week last week for the Prairie du Chien Girls Softball team saw the Hawks start the week off slow with a couple of tough non-conference losses before responding by winning two of the final three games later in the week.
First up for the Hawks was a trip to Onalaska last Monday, April 20 to take on the Hilltoppers. The game was scoreless until the top of the third inning when the Hawks offense broke through with a pair of runs to take a 2-0 lead. The lead would be short lived however as the Hilltoppers would answer in the bottom of the third with four runs to take a 4-2 lead.
Prairie du Chien would tie the game at 4-4 with two runs in the top of the fifth before Onalaska’s offense erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to make the score 11-4, which would end up being the final score.
Claire Kennedy (11 runs allowed (five earned) on nine hits and one walk with nine strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched) was dealt the loss, while the Hawks offense was held to three hits with Kennedy (1-for-3 with one run scored), Brecklyn McCumber (1-for-4 with two runs scored) and April Smith (1-for-4 with two RBIs) collecting the three hits.
Fennimore came to town the next day and quickly jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning before adding a run in the third, four runs in the fifth and one in the sixth inning. The Hawks did manage to score twice in the bottom of the seventh inning but that was all they could muster as they would fall to Fennimore 8-2.
Kennedy (seven runs allowed (four earned) on 10 hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 5.0 innings pitched) took the loss on the mound, while Nolan (one run allowed on two hits and zero walks with two strikeouts in 2.0 innings pitched) finished the game in relief.
Lily Kussmaul (3-for-3 with one run scored) and Kennedy (2-for-4) each had multiple hits in the game for Prairie du Chien. Other Hawks having a hit in the game included Camryn Knapp (1-for-3 with two RBIs), McCumber (1-for-4 with a double), April Smith (1-for-3 with a double) and Lainey Mitchell (1-for-2 with a walk).
The Hawks stepped back into conference play last Thursday afternoon when Dodgeville came to town. The Dodgers got on the scoreboard first with one run in the top of the first inning. That lead would not last long as the Hawks would answer with a run of their own in the bottom of the first inning to tie the game at 1-1. Following a scoreless second inning, the Dodgers began the top of the third inning with their leadoff hitter reaching via error before Kennedy retired the next three batters in order to keep Dodgeville from retaking the lead.
Prairie du Chien got a bases-clearing two-out RBI double by Mitchell to break the game open in the bottom of the third inning. The Hawks would add another run in the inning to make the score 5-1 after three innings. Dodgeville would score twice in the top of the seventh inning to make it a two-run game at 5-3 but could not get any closer as the Hawks held on for the 5-3 win and improved to 2-1 in conference play.
Kennedy got the win for the Hawks, allowing three runs (all unearned) on three hits and zero walks with nine strikeouts in a complete game victory. Abigail McCullick (2-for-2 with one run scored and one walk) led the Hawks with two hits in the game. Kennedy (1-for-4 with one run scored), Knapp (1-for-3 with one run scored and one RBI), Mitchell (1-for-3 with a double, one run scored and three RBIs) and Kussmaul (1-for-2 with a double and one walk) had a hit in the win.
The Hawks ended their week with the Iowa-Grant Triangular this past Saturday at Cobb. First up in the morning for PdC was the host Panthers, who used a three-run first inning, three-run third inning and a six-run fourth inning to defeat the Hawks 12-2 in five innings. Kennedy (10 runs allowed (three earned) on six hits and one walk with four strikeouts in 3.0 innings pitched) took the loss with Nolan (two runs allowed (one earned) on two hits and zero walks in 1.0 inning pitched) taking the mound for the other inning. The Hawks were held to two hits as a team with Knapp (1-for-2 with one run scored) and Nolan (1-for-2 with a triple and one run scored) each having one in the loss.
The final game of the day and the week for the Hawks was against the Highland Cardinals. The Cardinals scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead before the Hawks chipped away at the deficit with one run in the top of the third inning and two more runs in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game at 3-3. Highland would retake the lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning but not for long as Prairie du Chien would respond by scoring seven runs in the top of the fifth inning and then one more in the top of the seventh inning en route to defeating the Cardinals 11-4.
Nolan was the winner in the pitchers circle, allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits and one walk with four strikeouts in 7.0 innings pitched. The Hawks offense got multiple hits from Kennedy (2-for-3 with a double, a walk, three runs scored and three RBIs) and Mitchell (2-for-4 with one run scored and two RBIs). Knapp (1-for-5 with one run scored) and Kussmaul (1-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI) had the other two hits for the Hawks. Prairie du Chien improved their record to 4-8 overall with the victory.
The Hawks schedule has them on the road for both of their games this week. First up was a conference showdown at Platteville last night before the Hawks step back out of conference play tomorrow night when they travel to La Crosse Central starting at 4:30 p.m.
