By JIM LUTGENS
Sports Editor
The NRHEG softball team finished third in the Caswell Park Tournament at Mankato Saturday, winning two of three games. The tourney was scheduled for two days but Friday's games were rained out.
The Panthers picked up an easy 17-0, five-inning victory over St. Croix Prep School of Stillwater.
Faith Nielsen allowed only three hits, striking out eight and walking two.
Isabel Stadheim stole three bases and scored three times while going 3-for-3. Faith Nielsen was 2-2 with a triple and four RBIs, Camryn VanMaldeghem 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, Sidney Schultz 2-3 with two RBIss, Presley Nielsen 2-4 with three stolen bases. Hallie Schultz doubled and drove in two runs. Addy Stadheim, Aryanna Howe and Bree Ihrke added one hit each.
The Panthers had one fielding error to St. Croix's three.
"It was a great team win," said NRHEG coach Wendy Schultz. "We hit well as all starters and a sub had at least one hit. Defensively, the girls played well and Faith pitched well. Addy continues to be strong behind the plate. In the fourth inning with the bases loaded, she made a great double play to end the inning."
The win advanced the Panthers to the semifinals, where they took a 10-1, six-inning loss to Watertown-Mayer.
"Their pitcher was pretty decent, and threw a nice change-up that kept us off balance," said Coach Schultz.
The Panthers allowed five first-inning runs and never recovered.
Presley Nielsen was 2-3. VanMaldeghem and Sidney Schultz had one hit.
Faith Nielsen took the pitching loss, giving up three earned runs on seven hits.
The Panthers committed three errors, WM one.
The third-place game was another blowout as the Panthers pounded Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 15-0 in four innings.
Faith Nielsen pitched a three-hitter.
Sidney Schultz, Hallie Schultz, Presley Nielsen, Ihrke and Addy Stadheim had two hits apiece. VanMaldeghem tripled. Isabel Stadheim, Faith Nielsen and Howe had one hit each. Howe drove in four runs. Sidney Schultz stole four bases.
"It was nice to see the girls bounce back from getting beat by 10," said Coach Schultz. "We played errorless defense and hit the ball well, with a combined 14 hits."
The Panthers prevailed 14-4 in six innings at JWP Thursday, May 4.
Collecting two hits apiece were Faith Nielsen, Isabel Stadheim, Sidney Schultz and Hallie Schultz. Adding one each were VanMaldeghem, Howe, Ihrke and Presley Nielsen.
Faith Nielsen was the winning pitcher.
"It was a good team win," said Coach Schultz. "We came out in the first inning and got nine hits, leading to six runs. Our bats were pretty quiet until the sixth inning where we scored seven runs. We had some nice defensive plays by Addy Stadheim at catcher, Isabel Stadheim in center field, as well as a double play by Sid Schultz and a diving stop by Hallie Schultz at second base to stop a run from scoring."
To say the Panthers’ bats were lively Monday, May 1 in a 24-11, five-inning victory over Hayfield at Legion Field would be an understatement.
Everything went the Panthers’ way.
The Panthers totaled 22 hits, including six for extra bases, but the defense was solid enough despite four errors, the same total as Hayfield.
“This was a great team win,” said Coach Schultz. “The girls hit the ball very well tonight and played good defense.”
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. I.Stadheim stole three bases.
Faith Nielsen gave up two earned runs on eight hits, with three walks and two strikeouts.
“The battery of Faith Nielsen and Addy Stadheim continues to be consistent from the pitching rubber and behind the plate,” said Coach Schultz. “A combination of good hitting and pitching struggles for Hayfield helped secure the win.”
The Panthers faced Blooming Prairie at the University of Minnesota Tuesday. They play Thursday at Kenyon-Wanamingo and host Austin Friday.