Royall’s Cheyenne Harris draws contact with a pitch during the second game of last week’s doubleheader with Hillsboro. (Nate Beier photo | gx3media.smugmug.com)
By NATE BEIER | For the County Line
Scenic Bluffs Conference softball teams are clamoring to wrap up their league schedules before the start of the WIAA postseason tournament.
Royall, like most teams in the SBC, nearly averaged one game a day for the past week and continuing the trend this week with a 9–8 win over New Lisbon on Monday afternoon.
The Panthers led 6–0 by the end of the second inning against New Lisbon, but had to battle back in the bottom of the sixth inning, as the Rockets had tied the game by scoring four runs in the top of the frame. Royall pushed one last run across the plate in the bottom of the inning and held on in the seventh to take the win.
Kaylin Gruen and Kirstin Lunde each had a trio of hits, including a home run by Lunde, who led the team, which collected 12 hits altogether. Savannah DeWitt was 2–3; and Molly Olson, 2–4.
New Lisbon ended with eight hits. Megan Froh, Cassie Olson, Julia Jensen each had a pair of hits for the Rockets, and Kayla Steele had a home run and tallied three RBI on the day.
Pitcher Cheyenne Harris earned the win; and Molly Olson, the save after coming in to pitch in the top of the seventh for Royall. The duo combined for three strikeouts and five walks and allowed just eight hits.
Hillsboro 18, Royall 4
The Tigers opened the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday, May 1, with a rousing victory after a 10-run second inning. Hillsboro’s Molly Crandall was 4–4 with five RBI. Freshman Malia Liska tallied a home run and triple, ending with three RBI. Also, Royall’s Claire Herek was 1–3 with two RBI.
Royall 6, Hillsboro 4
To set up the win over the Tigers in the second game of the doubleheader, Royall scored a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning. Olson scored the go-ahead run on a passedball, and a single by Rachel Waterman scored Lunde to put Royall up by 2.
Gruen, Lunde and Waterman each had a pair of hits. Both hits by Lunde were doubles.
Olson earned the win after a complete five-inning outing, striking out three, walking five and surrendering six hits.
Bangor 5, Royall 4 (9)
Royall forced extra innings with the Scenic Bluffs Conference-leading Cardinals and led 4–3 going into the bottom of the inning, but Bangor scored two to take the win Thursday, May 2.
The Panthers tied the game at 3 with a three-run sixth inning.
Gruen and Olson each earned a pair of hits, plus Harris, Herek and Lunde each had a single hit. Also, Olson finished with two stolen bases.
Bangor’s leadoff hitter, Hannah Crenshaw, and Madeline Janisch each ended with a pair of hits.
Harris took the loss on the mound after 8 2/3 innings. The sophomore ended with four strikeouts and five walks and gave up seven hits.
Cashton 19, Royall 9
The Eagles finished a 10-run win over Royall on Friday, May 3, in a game that was suspended earlier this season.
Cashton 8, Royall 2
Olson took the loss on the mound despite throwing only 92 pitches, 70 for strikes, in the final game with Cashton this spring.
Royall stranded nine runners on the bases and ended with five errors.
“We are getting baserunners on, which is a positive,” said head coach Josh Board, “but we are struggling with finding ways to score.”
