Softball struggles in latter half of last week’s matchups
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
There wasn’t anything easy about the past week for the Big Foot baseball team.
In all three games, the outcome came down to just one run – fortunately for the Chiefs, they were on the positive side in two of them.
Big Foot opened play with a 3-2 loss at Brodhead April 28, but bounce back for a 7-6 nonconference win April 29 over Milwaukee Ronald Reagan and a 4-3, eight-inning victory Tuesday over visiting Palmyra-Eagle.
The 2-1 week left Big Foot at 6-7 overall and 5-6 in the Rock Valley Conference.
Palmyra struck first Tuesday with two runs in the opening inning, but Big Foot cut the deficit to just one in its half.
After four scoreless frames, the Chiefs knotted things up at 3-3 in the sixth and pushed the winning run across home in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Braden McCarthy had two hits and an RBI, while Brendan Kelley had two hits, including a double, and a run scored. Dan Rabic drove in Big Foot’s other run.
Mark Schauf earned the complete-game win, as he allowed 12 hits, two earned runs, four walks and struck out five.
The story was reversed April 29, as it was the Chiefs who jumped out to a 4-0 lead, only to have Milwaukee Ronald Reagan rally to tie things up late.
But again, Big Foot took advantage of every at bat, as the Chiefs scored in the bottom of the seventh to escape with the one-run victory.
Leaders included Zak Greco (three hits, double, RBI), Kelley (three hits, double, three RBI), Braden McCarthy (hit, run, three RBI) and Dan Rabic (double).
Schauf picked up the win in relief, as he allowed just one hit, one walk and struck out two in 2-2/3 innings of work.
In the week’s first game, Brodhead scored all of its runs in the first two innings, then held off the Chiefs for the 4-3 RVC victory.
Adam West had two hits, including a double, while Braden McCarthy had two hits and a run scored. Brennan Malone had Big Foot’s other RBI.
Heath Dillenbeck went the distance, as he allowed three hits, three walks and struck out three. All three of Brodhead’s runs charged to Dillenbeck were unearned.
Big Foot hits the road this week for a pair of RVC matchups, first Thursday at Palmyra-Eagle, followed by a trip to Beloit Turner next Tuesday, May 10.
Softball goes 1-2
After a 12-6 win to start the week, the Big Foot softball team dropped its next two, a 10-1 nonconference decision April 29 to visiting Fort Atkinson and a tough 2-1 setback Tuesday afternoon to Palmyra-Eagle.
Big Foot is 8-6 overall and 7-5 in the RVC.
The Chiefs fell behind Tuesday 1-0, but knotted things up in the bottom of the second on an RBI by Lauren Paulsen. Palmyra scored the game’s final run in the fourth inning and that’s how the game ended.
Morgan Stalker led the way with two doubles, followed by Paulsen with a pair of hits and an RBI. Olivia Briggs added a double.
Riley Davis took the loss, as she allowed four hits, four walks and struck out six.
Offense was tough to come by in the loss to Fort Atkinson, as Big Foot managed just a run in the bottom of the first inning.
Davis had two hits, including an RBI, and a double to lead the way. Davis and Courtney Schoenbeck combined in the pitcher’s circle, as Davis took the loss.
The previous day, offense certainly wasn’t an issue, as the Chiefs scored in five of their seven at bats in the 12-6 win over Brodhead.
Stalker led the onslaught with five hits, five runs scored and two RBI, followed by Yesenia Gonzalez with three hits and six RBI. Schoenbeck, Davis and Sophia Trakjavich each added two hits, while Lauren Paulsen drove in two.
Davis pitched six innings to pick up the win, as she allowed seven hits, five earned runs, one walk and struck out seven.
Big Foot travels to Palmyra May 5, followed by a road game Tuesday, May 10, at Beloit Turner.
