By JIM LUTGENS
Sports Editor
You don't have to analyze the scorebook a whole lot to figure out what derailed the NRHEG High School softball team last Monday and Tuesday.
It was errors.
Fielding miscues and mistakes on the base paths proved the differ- ence in a 15-5, six-inning loss to Bethlehem Academy at Faribault on Monday. The next day, the Panthers committed eight fielding errors and lost 18-11 at WEM.
The visitors kept it close for more than four innings Monday, but errors caught up to them and they surrendered nine runs through the final two frames.
A bright spot, according to NRHEG coach Wendy Schultz, was the Panthers' battery of Faith Nielsen and Addy Stadheim.
Neilsen allowed seven earned runs on 15 hits, with three walks and two strikeouts.
The Panthers totaled 10 hits and two walks while scoring four earned runs. They struck out four times.
Sidney Schultz was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and three stolen bases, Isabel Stadheim 3-for-5 with two stolen bases. Camryn VanMaldeghem was 2-for-4 while Hallie Schultz and Allison Howe added one hit each. Paige Nielsen walked and scored.
"We hit the ball pretty well," said Coach Schultz. "Hopefully, we can learn from our mistakes."
The Panthers had plenty of offense at Waterville, where they 13 hits.
"Unfortunately, our defense was lacking," said Schultz. "You aren't going to win many games commit- ting eight errors. Our bats kept us in the game."
Defensively, Bree Ihrke made a great catch in left field, firing to second base for a double play.
WEM scored 16 runs in two innings, including nine in the bot- tom of the sixth.
"We'll continue to work hard at practice and hopefully play better ball from here on out," said Schultz.
VanMaldeghem had three hits. Paige Nielsen, Hallie Schultz, Faith Nielsen and Sidney Schultz had two hits each, Isabel Stadheim and
Howe one each. Paige Nielsen doubled and Faith Nielsen tripled.
Faith Nielsen pitched. She allowed seven earned runs on 14 hits, with one strikeout and two walks.
The Panthers blasted Blooming Prairie 11-1 in six innings Thursday, April 27.
Howe, Sidney Schultz, Ihrke and VanMaldeghem had two hits each, with one apiece from Tatum Smith Vulcan, Presley Nielsen, Hallie Schultz and Addy Stadheim.
Faith Nielsen scattered six hits for the pitching win.
“The girls played pretty well tonight defensively, committing only one error,” said Coach Schultz. “We hit pretty well too.”
The Panthers’ bats were lively Monday, May 1 in a 24-11, five- inning victory over Hayfield.
Sidney Schultz was 4-for-5 with a double, three runs and two RBIs. Faith Nielsen was 3-for-3 with two doubles, five RBIs and four runs. Ihrke was 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and three runs. VanMaldeghem, Howe and Isabel Stadheim had two hits each, with one apiece by Presley Nielsen, Addi Stadheim, Hallie Schultz, Payton Bunn, A.Stenzel and T.Smith Vulcan. Faith Nielsen gave up two earned runs on eight hits, with three walks and two strikeouts.
“This was a great team win,” said Coach Schultz.
The Panthers improved to 2-3 in the Gopher Conference and 3-3 overall.