MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM CO-GAME OF THE WEEK (May 6–13)
SIX RIVERS CONFERENCE SOFTBALL: #1 Bemont 6, #2 Barneveld 0
By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal, Fennimore Times, Boscobel Dial
#1-ranked Braves blank #2 Eagles to take sole possession of first place
BELMONT — Belmont is alone atop the Six Rivers Conference softball standings. Coach Jeff Hodgson’s Division 5 #1-ranked Braves avenged its only loss of the season — up to that point — with a dominating 6–0 shutout at Barneveld Friday afternoon.
Sophomore Carsyn Ramaker struck out six and allowed just two walks in the four-hit shutout, while senior Morgan Freeman and sophomore Lexi Reichers each slugged homers for the visiting Braves.
Freeman opened the scoring with a two-run blast in the top of the first inning, driving in senior catcher Kaci Riechers who singled earlier in the inning, to give the Braves an early lead. Jaelyn Leitzinger walked to lead off the third, moved to second on a sac bunt by Addy McNett and third on a wild pitch. She later scored on a sac fly by Ramaker to make it 3–0.
A pair of Barneveld errors opened the door for another Belmont run in the fourth inning as Emily Reuter scored on a two-out RBI single by McNett to extend the lead to 4–0.
Lexi Reichers’ solo homer in the fifth made it 5–0 and Belmont capped the scoring in the top of the sixth when Kaci Riechers singled to left field and later scored when Freeman reached on a passed ball on a dropped third strike.
Ramaker’s only real trouble on the day came in the bottom of the fourth inning when Hannah Esch singled with one out, and Kaylie Oimoen drew a five-pitch walk, but the Belmont sophomore got out of the line out to Leitzinger at second base and an inning-ending strikeout.
Belmont (19–2) improved to 13–1 in the Six Rivers with its seventh-straight the win since a 9–3 loss to Barneveld on April 24, while the Golden Eagles fell to 13–4 overall and 12–2 in conference play.
Belmont 6, Barneveld 0
(from Friday, May 9 @ Barneveld)
Belmont........201 110 1 — 6 7 0
Barneveld....000 000 0 — 0 4 5
Leading hitters — B: Kaci Riechers 2x3 (2R), Jaelyn Leitzinger 1x2 (R). HR — B: L. Riechers, Morgan Freeman.
W — Carsyn Ramaker (9–0, 7IP, 4H, 0R, 0ER, 6K, 2BB). L — L. Reese (6IP, 6H, 5R, 4ER, 3K, 2BB).
