By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
A time existed, in the not too distant past, when finishing a week with a 3-3 record would merit elation from the Elkhorn Area High School girls softball team.
In a sign of how much the program is growing under coach Jacob Schueller and the current roster, a recent slate of six games in which the Elks finished 3-3 does not quite seem good enough.
The Elks finished 2-0 Saturday in a triangular at home. Elkhorn beat Pewaukee 11-0 and Waukesha Catholic Memorial 14-4.
Elkhorn lost 6-3 April 16 in a Southern Lakes Conference game at Delavan-Darien, and lost 4-1 April 14 in a SLC game at Waterford.
The Elks notched their first SLC win of the season when they beat Badger 13-3 April 13 at Lake Geneva.
Weather permitting, Elkhorn (3-3, 1-2 SLC) played at Burlington Monday in a SLC game and at home Tuesday in a SLC game against Union Grove. The Elks play at Wilmot Friday in a SLC game.
Union Grove is ranked seventh in Division 1 in the latest Wisconsin Softball Coaches Association state poll.
“I don’t know what was going on,” Schueller said of the Elks’ offense in Saturday’s triangular. “Their pitching was pretty mediocre, compared to what we usually see. The hits were contagious – the girls were pounding the ball all over.”
The Elks finished with 14 hits against Pewaukee and 16 against Catholic Memorial.
The Elks scored six runs against Pewaukee in the third inning and took an 8-0 lead. Elkhorn added another three runs in the fifth and the game ended early due to the 10-Run Rule.
Hailey Wang finished with three hits and two RBI. Jasmine Falbo-Bogart, Abbie Kolacke, Rachel Gosh and Meghan Etten each finished with two hits.
Carolyn Griswold threw a complete game and allowed one hit against five strikeouts.
The Elks scored five runs in the fourth inning against Memorial and took a 9-1 lead. Gosh and Morgan Rudolf pitched and combined to limit the Crusaders to three hits. Amy Kolacke finished with three hits, three RBI and four runs scored.
“We feel really positive after those two wins,” Schueller said. “They realized they can make some noise in the postseason in Division 1 and are becoming an upper level softball team.”
Errors, mistakes and walks at inopportune times doomed the Elks against both Delavan-Darien and Waterford. Schueller said the Waterford game is one of the most frustrating he’s coached, and said the Elks felt as though they could have won each game.
The Elks jumped on Badger early, and led 7-0 after the third inning. Griwsold allowed four hits and struck out seven.
Amy Kolacke finished with three hits and Bailey LeDonne added two against Badger. Wang drove in three runs, and LeDonne, Payton Barker and Mackenzie Shawback each drove in two.
