advertisement

Steeleville softball wins 2, loses 1 in home tournament

The Steeleville High School Warriors dominated the field for the first two games of its softball tournament on April 28, only to fall to Trico in the championship game.

The Warriors took on Sparta in game one. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first innings on a pair of home runs. They would hold that lead until the fourth inning when Steeleville decided to wake up. Mackenzie Pim started things with a double. Karley Kothe ripped a hit to left moving Pim to third. Josie Raby laid down a bunt that Sparta could not make a play on and the bases were loaded for Julia Niepert. Niepert crushed a grand slam home run to center putting the Warriors on top 4-3. With two outs, Ashleigh Stegmann hit a double to right center. Sydney Hood followed with a base hit driving in Stegmann. Anna Beth Batson reached on an error. Lexi Middendorf drove a hit to center scoring Hood and Batson and the Warriors had a 7-3 lead. Steeleville added three more in the 6th and two in the 7th securing a 12-3 win.

Game two was a match up with Chester. Steeleville got off to a better start with Hood leading off the game with a base hit. After a strike out of Batson, Middendorf drilled a single to center. Pim walked loading the bases. Kothe hit a deep sacrifice fly to center giving the Warriors a 1-0 lead. That score remained until the third when Steeleville sent nine batters to the plate. Batson led off with a hit and Middendorf walked. With one out, Kothe walked loading the bases. Raby popped out for the second out. Niepert walked forcing in Batson. Katie Myers was hit by the next pitch bringing home Middendorf. Lexi Renner hit a double into right field clearing the bases and giving the Warriors a 6-1 lead. Steeleville would get one run in the fourth before putting up another five run inning in the fifth, batting nine again. All five runs came with two outs. Myers reached on a hit, Renner walked and Hood doubled to right scoring Myers. Batson reached on an error and Middendorf drove in a run with a base hit. Pim smoked a three run home run to right center putting the Warriors on top 13-1. Renner shut down the Yellow Jackets through four innings with Hood finishing the game in the fifth giving Steeleville their second win of the day.

Steeleville faced Trico in the championship game. Trico jumped out to a 2-0 in the first. That score remained until the third. The Pioneers got rolling with four runs on five hits in the inning putting them on top 6-0. They would add two more in the fourth and one in the sixth giving them a 9-0 advantage. The Warriors got one back in the bottom of the sixth but that was it and Trico won 9-1. Steeleville will be back on the diamond Monday when they travel to Pinckneyville.

<h3 class="breakHead">April 30: Pickneyville 5,</h3>

<h3 class="breakHead">Steeleville </h3>

Warriors Softball couldn't break through against a tough 2A Panther team on Monday. Scoreless after two innings, Pinckneyville scratched through for a run in the third. They added one in the fourth, got a 2 run homer from their pitcher Mariah Clark in the 5th and plated one more in the 6th for a 5-0 win. The Warriors threatened in the 6th inning with a lead off single from Katie Myers. Lexi Renner followed with a base hit but Clark shut down the next three hitters to escape leaving runners on second and third. Steeleville managed four hits in the game. Myers and Renner both went 1 for 2. Lexi Middendorf and Josie Raby went 1 for 3. The Warriors will look to get back on track when they travel to Dupo for a 4 p.m. game on Thursday. They will make a trip to Anna Jonesboro Friday and return home for a 11 a.m. match up with Lebanon on Saturday.

<h3 class="breakHead">April 27: Steeleville 14, Okawville 5</h3>

Steeleville softball traveled to face the Lady Rockets on Friday afternoon. The ladies did not forget their bats as they put 5 on the board in the top of the first. Sydney Hood led off with a bullet back up the middle that hit the Okawville pitcher in the knee. The ball ricocheted to the first baseman for the out but it also knocked the Rockets pitcher out of the game. Anna Beth Batson reached on an error and Lexi Middendorf lined a hit to left. Mackenzie Pim followed with a hit to left driving in Batson. Karley Kothe was hit by a pitch loading the bases for Josie Raby. Raby drilled the first pitch she saw to the gap in right center field bringing home Middendorf and Pim. Julia Niepert popped out to short for the second out. Katie Myers battled in her at bat and came through with a base hit to center scoring Kothe and Raby and the Warriors had a 5-0 lead. They would add four more in the second on two straight hits from Hood and Batson. Middendorf followed with a 3 run bomb to left giving the Warriors a 8-0 lead. Pim doubled to left and scored on a Raby triple making the score 9-0. NIepert brought Raby home with a ground out RBI making it 10-0. Steeleville would add four more runs in the game pulling away with a 14-5 win.

Lexi Middendorf led the Warrior hitting attack going 3 for 3 with 2 home runs, 4 RBI and 3 runs scored. Sydney Hood was 3 for 4 with a run scored. Batson went 3 for 5 with an RBI and 2 runs scored. Pim was 2 for 2 with a double and 2 runs scored. Raby was 2 for 5 with a double and a triple, 3 RBI and a run scored. Myers went 2 for 3 with 3 RBI and Asleigh Stegmann added 3 hits in 5 at bats with a run scored.

April 25: Steeleville 20, Waterloo Gibault 0 (3)

The Warriors exploded for 20 runs on 17 hits in a 3 innings victory over Waterloo Gibault on Wednesday in Steeleville. Sydney Hood led off the bottom of the first by crushing a triple to the right center field gap. Anna Beth Batson followed with a double driving in Hood. The next four hitters, Lexi Middendorf, Mackenzie Pim, Karley Kothe and Josie Raby all singled. Julia Niepert reached on an error and the ladies were well on their way. Before the third out was recorded, Steeleville had put up 12 runs on 10 hits. The Warriors would add 3 more in the second and another 5 in the third to walk off with the win. Lexi Renner pitched three solid innings, giving up one hit with three strike outs and was backed by a solid, error free defense. Hood - 2 for 2 with a triple, an RBI and 2 runs scored. Batson - 3 for 3 with three doubles and 2 RBI. Middendorf - 4 for 4, 5 RBI, 4 runs scored and 3 stolen bases. Pim - 2 for 3, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored. Kothe - 2 for 2, 2 RBI and a run scored. Raby - 1 for 1 with a run scored. Niepert - 1 for 2 with a home run and an RBI. Renner - 2 for 2, 1 RBI, 1 run scored. Ashleigh Stegmann reached twice and scored 2 runs. Shealyn Conway - 1 for 2 with an RBI. Steeleville's record stands at 17-6.

April 24: Steeleville 10, Dupo 0

Sydney Hood's pitching and the Steeleville offense proved to be too much for Dupo in a conference match up on Tuesday at home. Hood struck out seven and allowed two hits over a 5 innings pacing the Warriors to a 10-0 victory. Sydney cruised on the hill, the bats were alive and a flawless defense sparked the Warriors. After a scoreless first inning, Karley Kothe got things going in the bottom of the second with a rope line drive to center. Josie Raby followed with a base hit up the middle. Ashleigh Stegmann dropped a beautiful bunt hit down the third base line. The throw to first ended up down the line into right field scoring both Kothe and Raby with Stegmann advancing to third. A wild pitch brought her home giving Steeleville a 3-0 lead after 2 innings. Hood led off the bottom of the third inning with a long fly ball to right that was mishandled, and Hood raced to third. Anna Beth Batson hit a long sacrifice fly to center scoring Hood. After a Lexi Middendorf pop out, Mackenzie PIm crushed a double to left. Kothe then smacked a home run to center putting the Warriors on top 6-0. The Warriors would get three more in the fourth on a high school career first home run by Stegmann to left center. With one out, Lexi Renner reached on an error. Hood drilled a hit to left and Batson drew a walk loading the bases. Middendorf blooped a single to left scoring Renner, followed by a Pim hit to left driving in the third run of the inning giving Steeleville a 9-0 lead through 4 innings. Stegmann led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to right. Katie Myers smacked a double to left scoring Stegmann giving the Warriors a 10-0 win. Steeleville will be back on the diamond Wednesday against Waterloo Gibault at 4:30.