Steeleville baseball, softball blank Chester
Mackenzie Pim and Lexi Middendorf homered, and Sydney Hood took a no-hitter into the seventh as part of Steeleville's 9-0 win over Chester on Monday.
"The difference of (Monday) was Steeleville was ready to play, unfortunately we were not," said Chester coach Tracy Colvis. "We could not do anything right. We didn't play any aspect of the game well.
"It was our first game and you could tell it."
The Lady Warriors (2-1) led 5-0 after two innings thanks in part to a three-run home run in the first by Pim, her second homer in the team's first three games. Steeleville added two more runs in the second on a two-run triple by Katie Myers.
"I thought getting those first three runs in the first inning was big and relaxed everybody," said Steeleville coach Andy Gerlach. "We had good, quality at-bats."
Middendorf hit a solo home run to lead off the fifth and AnnaBeth Batson later hit a one-out single to put two runners on and end starter Logan Colvis's night early.
Shea Petrowske came on in relief of Colvis and walked Julia Niepert to load the bases for Haley Troue. Troue drove in one run with a single to increase Steeleville's lead to 7-0, while Batson was called out at home in a play at the plate.
Batson added an RBI double in the seventh and later scored on a single by Niepert to account for the final score.
Chester finally broke Hood's hitless streak in the bottom of the seventh when Kaitlyn Dillow led off with a single and was called out at second on a fielder's choice to Alyssa Keith.
Keith was ultimately left stranded at third after a single by Claire Junger, a strikeout by Carlee Weir and a flyout to right field by Karson Colvis to end the game.
"I thought Syd threw the ball very well," Gerlach said. "The defense behind her made plays and it looked like Syd was in mid-season form against a good-hitting Chester team."
As a team, Steeleville banged out nine hits and nine runs two days after a 10-2 road loss to Waterloo. Chester didn't help its cause any by committing four errors - including one to start the game.
"Steeleville is a good team," Colvis said. "I have to and will give them credit. I expect to see great things from them this season.
"They played every part of the game well. That's what you have to do to win high school ball games."
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<li><strong> Steeleville 10, Chester 0</strong></li>
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Bradley Mevert went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and pitcher Hunter Fedderke limited the Chester offense to just one hit in a win over the Yellow Jackets on Monday.
Chester (1-4) was shut out for the second time this season and allowed 10 runs or more for the third time in five games.
Steeleville (1-0) scored five runs in the first inning, while sending 14 batters to the plate, and tacked on five more in the fourth. Ethan Bert broke Fedderke's no-hitter bid in the bottom of the third with a single, but was later picked off at first base.
Fedderke finished with six strikeouts and only 54 pitches thrown, meaning he was eligible to return – with a limit of 60 pitches – for Steeleville's game against Sparta on Thursday.
R.J. Smith also went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Warriors, who banged out nine hits in the victory.