Playing their first game since March 26 when they lost at Richland Center, the Wauzeka-Steuben Hornets Softball team found their groove pretty quickly last week with a pair of shutout victories (sandwiched around a suspended game).
The Hornets traveled to Kickapoo last Monday, April 20 for their league opener and left with an 8-0 victory. W-S scored twice in the second inning, twice in the third inning and four times in the fourth inning to earn their first win of the season.
Brianna Ray (zero runs allowed on one hit and two walks with 11 strikeouts in 5.0 innings pitched) got the start on the mound before Devyn Allert (zero runs allowed on zero hits and two walks and three strikeouts in 2.0 innings pitched) closed the door on the Panthers.
The Hornets offense got multi-hit games from Isabella Bunders (3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and one RBI) and Abby Wright (2-for-3 with a double, one walk, two runs scored and one RBI). Ray also helped her own cause at the plate by going 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Allert (1-for-4 with one run scored), Madyson Schambow (1-for-3 with one run scored) and Molli Hooker (1-for-3) each had a hit for the Hornets.
Wauzeka-Steuben traveled to La Farge last Thursday, April 23 to take on the Wildcats and had jumped out to a 6-1 lead after two and a half innings when thunderstorms rolled in and caused the game to be suspended. Before the storm arrived, Bunders had helped the Hornets build their lead with a two-run home run in the second inning.
The Hornets finally opened their home schedule the next day when they welcomed North Crawford to town. W-S wasted little time in earning their second victory of the week and the season by scoring five runs in the first inning, three in the second, four in the third and five in the bottom of the fourth inning, including a walk-off grand slam by Wright as the Hornets claimed a 17-0 victory in four innings.
Ray earned the win on the mound, allowing zero runs on three hits and zero walks with nine strikeouts in 4.0 innings pitched.
The Hornets offense produced 17 runs on 16 hits and were led by four different players with three hits each. Having multi-hit game for W-S were Bunders (3-for-4 with a triple, three runs scored and one RBI), Wright (3-for-4 with a home run, four runs scored and six RBIs), Elyse Sims (3-for-3 with one run scored and one RBI) and Alayna Krachey (3-for-3 with a double, three runs scored and one RBI). Schambow (1-for-3 with one RBI) added a double, while Ray (1-for-2 with one walk, one run scored and one RBI), Allert (1-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs) and Hooker (1-for-3 with two runs scored) each had a hit in the win.
Wauzeka-Steuben (2-1 overall, 2-0 in the Ridge & Valley Conference) was scheduled to host De Soto this past Monday night and Kickapoo last night before welcoming Fennimore to town this Friday night at 5 p.m.
