The Trinity Lutheran softball team scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning and led all the way en route to a 6-2 senior night win against Brown County on Wednesday.
During a break in the action after the fifth inning, Trinity Lutheran senior players Taylor Reynolds and Anne Franke and senior manager Katie Sturgill, and their parents, were introduced.
While Cougars coach Chad Goecker said he was pleased with the win, he thought his team should have scored several more runs, as Trinity left two runners on base in five different innings and 11 for the game.
“We had 11 left on base, and we just can’t have that,” he said. “We were off tonight. We couldn’t hit the ball and we had a hard time adjusting to their pitcher.
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“We’re just lucky that our defense came through and our pitching worked well tonight. Morgan (Gabbard) did a good job, and we were able to play some defense and make some stops, so that made up for it.”
Savannah Harweger led off the bottom of the first with a single, Taylor Russell hit a double to plate Harweger.
Jodi Goecker followed with another single and RBI. Reynolds also singled, but two fly outs and an infield ground out ended the rally.
“Typically, we have started off the games really good,” coach Goecker said. “We’re really good about the top and middle of our lineup. We’re very strong; we’re a good-hitting team.”
Gabbard helped her own cause in the fourth inning when she singled and later scored on Russell’s infield hit. Kirsten Hoene singled in the fifth inning and scored on an error.
With one out in the sixth, Goecker walked and Reynolds hit the ball over the fence in left field for a two-run homer.
Coach Goecker said he was pleased to see Reynolds hit the long ball.
“That’s nice and appropriate (for Reynolds),” he said. “She’s struggled a little bit this year, but she’s come through and she’s doing really well. She’s got her head in the game and we’re excited for her. She’s doing a great job.”
Gabbard retired the first six batters she faced before Emma Quackenbush led off the third inning by reaching safely on an error and scored the Eagles’ first run. Brown County’s leadoff batter in the fifth also reached base on an error and scored.
Gabbard finished with three hits allowed, struck out five and walked one, and didn’t give up any earned runs.
The Cougars had 12 hits, with Russell, Reynolds, Sydney Stahl and Gabbard each collecting two.
Russell and Reynolds both had two RBIs.
The Cougars (10-7) will host Silver Creek today for a varsity game, followed by a JV contest.
“We’ve been hitting the ball real well,” Goecker said. “Our defense has let us down a little bit, so we’ve been trying to focus on defense, and with our hitting we’ll be fine. We just need to go out and do our job.”