By Adam Knoll
A difficult 2014 season came to a close for the Whitewater High School girls softball team last Thursday night as they fell to East Troy in the first round of the WIAA regional tournament.
The 9-0 loss strung together several frustrating themes for the Whippets that materialized on and off throughout the season: inconsistent offense and costly defensive errors.
Izzy Zahn and Hannah Tuinstra had singles against the Trojans, unfortunately, those were the only two hits of the night for the Whippets. Even more unfortunate was that Whitewater could not take advantage of the six walks given to them by East Troy pitching.
Michaela Schumacher pitched all six innings, which finishes out her year as the Whippets main workhorse. Schumacher gave up nine runs (six earned) while striking out five batters and walking seven.
“It was a tough finish to a to a tough year,” head coach Dan Dowden said after the game. “Our Achilles heel all season was not stringing together hits. It didn’t matter if we gave up one run or 20, if we can’t get hits, the results are bad.”
“It was a fun season, with a lot of young players,” Dowden continued. “We will miss Alex Cady next year, but return the majority of players. Whitewater softball is on the rise.”
