By William / www.mcpherson-county-ks.com

BROOKVILLE – It is hard to lose a pair of games, but even harder to lose twice late in the game as the Moundridge softball team on Friday when they went on the road to play Ell-Saline and dropped both ends of a doubleheader 14-9, and 19-12.

The losses were the first of the season for the Lady Wildcats as they are now 4-2 on the season. They get 11 days off before returning to the competitive diamond on Tuesday, April 19 at home by hosting Little River.

In game one at Ell-Saline, the Lady Wildcats scored three times in the first only to have Ell-Saline get four runs in the bottom of the inning and then add five runs over the next four innings before pushing across five in the bottom of the sixth to take a 14-5 lead. Moundridge put four runs across in the top of the seventh but came up short and took the final five-run loss.

Emily Durst went the whole game on the mound for the Lady Wildcats and threw 129 pitches while striking out five and walking five. Durst gave up just five earned runs as the Lady Wildcat defense behind her committed eight errors in the game.

At the plate, Kate Eichelberger, Kindall Elmore and Emma Blough each had a pair of hits with Eichelberger pounding out a double, though Blough earned credit for four runs batted in.

Moundridge scored three times again in the first inning of the second game and then added a run in the second and two in the third. Ell-Saline kept pace, scoring four, two and three tuns in the first three times at the plate and then added one in the fourth.

After the Lady Wildcats pushed four runs across in the top of the fifth, they tied the game at 10-10 before Ell-Saline poured four runs across in the bottom of the fifth and another five in the bottom of the sixth. While Moundridge got two more runs in the top of the seventh, it was not enough to overcome the loss.

Emma Blough threw 133 pitches on the mound for the Lady Wildcats and struck out four while walking six.

Of the dozen hits by the Lady Wildcats, Emily Durst, Addy Falco, and Reese Schmidt each had three. All three also recorded three runs batted in while Falco scored three times. Both Falco and Emily Durst hit a pair of doubles while Schmidt knocked out one double. Moundridge did leave several scoring opportunities in the field as they left nine runners on base in the game.

GAME 1:                   1-2-3-4-5-6-7=R-H-E

LADY WILDCATS      3-0-0-1-0-1-4=9-8-8

Ell-Saline                   4-2-1-1-1-5-X=14-14-2

LADY WILDCATS PITCHING (IP-P-H-R-ER-SO-BB): Emily Durst 6.0-129-14-14-5-5-5.

LADY WILDCATS HITTING (AB-R-H-RBI-BB): Emily Durst 2-1-1-0-1; Kindall Elmore 4-2-2-0-0; Addy Falco 4-2-0-0-0; Reese Schmidt 3-1-0-0-1; Kate Eichelberger 4-2-2-1-0; Emma Blough 4-0-2-4-0; Hannah Schrag 4-0-0-0-0; Lizzy Kliewer 2-0-1-0-1; Macie Woltje 1-0-0-0-0; Aubree Durst 3-0-0-0-0; Maggy Adolf 1-0-0-0-0. Team Totals: 31-9-8-5-3. 2B (1): Eichelberger – 1. SB (4): Eichelberger, Falco, Durst, Elmore – 1. LOB: 5.

GAME 2:                   1-2-3-4-5-6-7=R-H-E

LADY WILDCATS      3-1-2-0-4-0-2=12-12-5

Ell-Saline                   4-2-3-1-4-5-X=19-15-4

LADY WILDCATS PITCHING (IP-P-H-R-ER-SO-BB): Emma Blough 6.0-133-15-19-13-4-6.

LADY WILDCATS HITTING (AB-R-H-RBI-BB): Emily Durst 5-2-3-3-0; Kindall Elmore 4-3-1-0-1; Addy Falco 5-3-3-3-0; Reese Schmidt 4-1-3-3-1; Kate Eichelberger 4-0-1-1-1; Emma Blough 4-1-0-0-1; Lizzy Kliewer 3-0-1-1-1; Macie Woltje 0-0-0-0-0; Maggy Adolf 0-0-0-0-0; Hannah Schrag 4-0-0-0-0; Aubree Durst 2-2-0-0-2. Team Totals: 35-12-12-11-7. 2B (5): Falco, E. Durst – 2; Schmidt – 1. SB (5): Elmore – 2; A. Durst, Falco, Adolf – 1. LOB: 9.

(William is a free-lance writer covering McPherson County Activities – he can be reached at crossdovewriter@gmail.com)