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MCDONALD'S CO-GAME OF THE WEEK (Prep Softball): Belmont 6, Potosi/Cassville 5
Hodgson's walk-off RBI 2B beats Potosi/Cassville, keeps Belmont SRW title hopes alive
Hodgson
Belmont sophomore Mia Hodgson's walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted the Braves to crucial 6–5 victory over visiting first place Potosi/Cassville Monday afternoon. Belmont went on to blank Pecatonica 8–0 Tuesday afternoon to earn a share of the Six Rivers West title with Potosi/Cassville and Highland.

MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (June 1–8)
PREP SOFTBALL: Belmont 6, Potosi/Cassville 5

by Tom Gunnell

BELMONT – The race for the 2021 Six Rivers West softball title got really interesting on Monday night after Belmont rallied to knock off league leading Potosi/Cassville 6–5 in thrilling game at Bond Park.

Belmont sophomore Mia Hodgson drilled a walk-off RBI double to lead the Braves (13–6 overall, 8–5 SRC) over the visiting Chieftains (12–7, 9–5 SRC), who had already clinched at least a share of the SRW title with a 10–6 win over Pecatonica last Wednesday. 

Highland (10–9, 9–5) earned a share of the conference title with a 15–5 win over River Ridge Monday evening. Coach Jeff Hodgson’s Braves (14–6, 9–5)went on to blank Pecatonica 8–0 Tuesday evening  to make a three-way title for the title.

The Braves scored two runs in the home-half of the sixth inning to tie the score at 5–5, and then won it in the seventh on Hodgson’s double. 

Reese Runde scored on an error on a fly ball by Hodgson to start the scoring in the sixth, and then Hodgson came in to score on Molly Puls’ RBI single to tie the game at five all.

Hodgson finished the game with three runs batted in and a run scored for the Braves. Runde also doubled and scored three times on the day, while Peyton Johnson went 2-for-4 at the plate with two run scored for Belmont.

Payton Johnsen (7–6) earned the complete game win in the pitcher’s circle, yielding two earned runs on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts.

Senior Shae Siegert had a double and scored twice for the Chieftains. Junior Kylie Reuter had a double and a RBI while scoring twice for the co-op.

In other games over the past week, Belmont posted wins over Benton/Shullsburg, 10–0, at home on Tuesday, June 1, over Iowa-Grant, 16–6, at Cobb on Thursday, and over Juda/Albany, 9–4, at home on Friday. The Braves also fell at home to Highland, 6–2, at home last Wednesday.

Belmont (13–6) opens the WIAA Division 5 tournament at home June 14. The #4 seed Braves host #5 seed Highland in a regional semifinal game at Bond Park at 5 p.m.

Potosi/Cassville’s 7–3 loss to Juda/Albany Thursday opened the door for Belmont and Highland to get back in the conference title race. The Cardinals also helped their own cause with a 7–3 victory over visiting Potosi/Cassville last Tuesday.

Potosi/Cassville (12–7) earned the #5 seed in its WIAA Division 4 half sectional and will open at #4 Cuba City (12–11) Monday at 5 p.m. in a regional semifinal. The winner will advance to face top-seeded SWAL co-champion Boscobel (14–3) in next Wednesday’s regional final.


Belmont  6, Potosi/Cassville 5
(from Monday, June 7 @ Belmont)
Potosi/Cassville 010 301 0 —  5   5  3
Belmont 300 002 1x —  6   8  2
Leading hitters — P/C: Mikaylia Bauer 2x4, Kylie Reuter 1x2 (RBI), Emily Bierman 2x2 (2 RBI); B: Peyton Johnson 2x4, Mia Hodgson 1x4 (2RBI), Molly Puls 1x1 (RBI). 2B — P/C: Shae Siegert, Reuter, Bierman; B: Hodgson, Reese Runde. 3B — P/C: Bierman.
W — Payton Johnsen (7–6, 5H, 5R, 1ER, 6K, 2BB). L — Malia Weber (12–7, 6.1IP, 8H, 6R, 2ER, 2K, 2BB).