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MCDONALD'S GAME OF THE WEEK (SWAL Softball): #2 Boscobel 3, Mineral Point 0
Grassel strikes out 17 in one-hit shutout of Pointers to help Bulldogs clinch SWAL title
Boscobel softball team
The Boscobel softball team clinched at least a share of the SWAL title with a 3–0 win over Mineral Point Monday, then clinched the outright crown a day later with a 6–0 win over Cuba City. Members of the team are (front, from left) assistant coach Corey Grassel, Sharde Copus, Jory Vial, Grace Manning, Gretta Grassel, Hope Marks, Cozy Wetter, Claire Manning, (back) Anna Bailie, Teah Ward, Katie Kinney, Grace Smith, Kennedy Seeley, Makenzie Fritz, Erin Knowles, Sarah Knowles, Kenna Wallin, Taylor Wayne, and head coach Claire Waltz-U’ren.

MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (May 3–10)
SWAL SOFTBALL
: Boscobel 3, Mineral Point 0

By Jason Nihles, The Boscobel Dial

BOSCOBEL — Boscobel clinched at least a share of a second-straight Southwest Wisconsin Activities League title with a 3–0 victory over visiting Mineral Point Monday evening.

The Bulldogs (13–0, 12–0 SWAL) then clinched the outright SWAL title with a 6–0 win over Cuba City on Tuesday.

Boscobel shared last year’s SWAL title with Mineral Point, both going 12–2 in league play, before ending the 2021 season with a 2–0 sectional semifinal loss to conference rival Iowa–Grant.

“Seeing the girls in the program have another successful year has been really exciting and being undefeated this far into the season is surreal,” said Boscobel softball coach Claire Waltz-Uren. “Our conference is always tough and usually a tight race to the top. It’s been a big benefit to have a dominating presence on the mound with Gretta, but her teammates are showing up at the plate for her too. We have seen the bottom of our lineup get key runs across in clutch situations and that really takes the pressure off of the pitching.”

Sophomore ace Gretta Grassel (12–0) struck out 17 batters and allowed just three base runners in a one-hit shutout. She also went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases.

Boscobel made the most of its four hits, by scoring single runs in the third, fourth and the fifth.

Kaitlyn Seeley walked to lead off the Boscobel third, moved to second on a sac bunt by Erin Knowles and third on a ground out by Katie Kinney. Grassel delivered a clutch two-out RBI single to make it 1–0.

Hope Marks reached on a three-base error — dropped fly ball in right field — to lead off the fourth and scored on a ground out to second base by Grace Smith to extend the Boscobel lead.

After Erin Knowles singled to lead off the fifth, Kinney grounded into a fielder’s choice. Grassel singled on a line drive to right field to move Kinney to third, then Grassel and Kinney pulled off a double steal of second base and home to give the Bulldogs a key insurance run. 

Bosocbel also defeated Mineral Point 2–1 last Tuesday at Point. 

The Pointers took a 1–0 lead on a walk by Wendhausen and an RBI single by Kroll in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The Bulldogs put together a game-winning rally in the top of the sixth after Erin Knowles and Kinney had back-to-back one-out singles and Grassel drew a walk to load the bases. Sarah Knowles reached on a sac bunt when Erin Knowles beat the throw to the plate. Sharde Copus then drove in the winning run when she reached on a fielder’s choice.

Grassel struck out 17 and walked two, allowing one run on two hits and two walks.

Last Thursday Boscobel jumped out to an 9–3 lead and held on for a 14–8 lead after the host Darlington Redbirds scored five unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Erin Knowles (1–0) earned her first pitching win of the season, striking out three and walking one in her four innings. She allowed eight runs, but only one was earned as the Boscobel defense committed four errors. Grassel came on to pitch three perfect innings, striking out all nine batters she face on just 36 pitches to earn a three-inning save. She also went 2-for-3 with a triple an four RBI.

Kinney went a perfect 5-for-5 with three RBI and four runs scored and two stolen bases. Marks finished with two hits and four RBI.

After Tuesday’s SWAL game at Cuba City, Boscobel (13–0, 12–0 SWAL) will travel to Fennimore today for a 5 p.m. game before competing in the Ithaca Tournament Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m. The Bulldogs will then close out the regular season Monday at home against Riverdale before the WIAA Division 4 regional playoffs begin Thursday, May 19.

With a undefeated record, a conference title and a number two-ranked, the Bulldogs will likely earn a first round bye. WIAA playoff pairings will be announced this weekend. 

“The biggest point of emphasis we have going forward is to make sure we aren’t leaving runners stranded,” added Waltz-Uren. “Most innings we are leaving a couple runners on base and the further we go along the importance of scoring those runners grows. We never want to be one home run away from a loss. We keep challenging the girls to get the ball in play. The less strike outs the better because that means we are making their defense work for their outs.”


Boscobel 3, Mineral Point 0
(from Monday, May 9 @ Boscobel)
Mineral Point 000 000 0 — 0  1  1
Boscobel 001 110 x — 3  4  0
Leading hitters — B: Gretta Grassel 2x3 (RBI), Kennedy Seeley 1x2, Erin Knowles 1x3. 2B — B: Grassel.
W — Gretta Grassel (11–0, 7IP, 1H, 0R, 17K, 2BB). L — Kennedy Kabat (5IP, 3H, 3R, 2ER, 3K, 5BB).