BROWNSTOWN
Brownstown Central’s softball team collected 14 hits Thursday evening, but the hits didn’t come at the right moments in losing 7-5 to Mid-Southern Conference opponent North Harrison at home.
The Braves dropped the game despite having the bases loaded with no outs in the fifth inning and two runners in scoring position with one out in the seventh inning.
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“That’s what we’ve been doing in the last few games,” Braves coach Monte Ault said. “We’ve lost some close games where we can’t put the ball in play.”
The Braves trailed 6-3 in the fifth inning when the bases were loaded and no outs. North Harrison, however, struck out three Braves in a row to end the threat.
“We have to put the ball in play there, at least with a fly ball or something,” Ault said.
The Braves had an opportunity again in the seventh inning with two runners in scoring position with only one out but failed to come up with any runs.
Brownstown jumped to a quick start in the third inning by going up 3-0.
Alli Reynolds hit a single to left field, scoring Kaylee Branaman from second. Branaman reached on a single.
Addy Krieger hit a fly ball to left field, and North Harrison’s Jaden Wingler couldn’t make the catch. Krieger went to second, and Chloe Carlin and Reynolds scored to give the Braves a 3-0 lead. The Braves recorded the three runs with two outs.
Brownstown carried the 3-0 lead into the fourth inning until Kendall Beyerle reached on an error by the shortstop and Jaden Wingler scored to cut the lead to 3-1.
That set up a single to right field for Kaitlynn Crane to score Jada Peyton and Beyerle to tie the game.
The Cougars took the lead in the next inning when Wingler hit a double and Rachel Purser and Sydney King scored to bring the score to 5-3.
Jada Peyton then doubled Wingler in to extend the Cougars’ lead 6-3.
Zoe Fountain led off the fifth inning with a no-doubt home run over the left field fence to cut the Cougars’ lead to 6-4. Carlin hit a single to center field to score Kyra Huffman and make it 6-5.
The Braves again had the bases loaded, but the Cougars struck out the next three batters.
“We do just have some girls in a slump,” Ault said.
The Cougars were able to get some insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning when Peyton doubled to center field, scoring Wingler to bring the score to 7-5. Peyton was thrown out trying to reach third base to end the inning.
The Braves made it interesting in the bottom of the seventh when Branaman and Reynolds were on second and third with one out.
That’s when Krieger popped into an infield fly rule and Rehgen Stuckwisch was called out on a strike that looked outside the strike zone.
Ault said Hannah Fisher pitched well for the Braves. She threw all seven innings, gave up 12 hits and four earned runs, struck out three and didn’t walk a batter.
“I think she came in and did a great job pitching for us,” he said.
Ault said he feels his team is inching toward where it needs to be when the sectional comes around.
“We’re capable of playing really good ball, and we have the hitters,” he said. “Going into the sectional, we want to be playing our best, and I think our last couple of games, we haven’t won but have played well.”