MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (March 27–April 2)
SWAL SOFTBALL: Fennimore 3, Cuba City 1

By Jason Nihles, Fennimore Times

Furrer, Eagles stun Cubans 3–1 to open SWAL play

FENNIMORE — The Fennimore softball team is off to a fantastic start.

The Golden Eagles opened the season with a 6–4 non-conference victory at Division 2 Mount Horeb last Tuesday, then stunned many prognosticators with a 3–1 victory over reigning SWAL co-champion Cuba City last Thursday.

Senior All-State catcher Jenna James  (solo) and sophomore All-SWAL pitcher Kayahna Furrer (3-run HR) each homered in lat Tuesday's win over the Vikings.

Thursday against the Cubans, who went 21–7 overall and 12–2 in the SWAL a year ago, Furrer struck out 15 and allowed just one run on seven hits and one walk.

Breanna Gieseke drove in the game’s first run with an RBI single in the bottom of the second.

Fennimore overcame Wren Hipenbecker being thrown out at the plate on a double by Gieseke to take a 3–0 lead on a two-out, two-run single by Mumm later in the fourth.

Cuba City scored its lone run on an RBI single by Addy Schauff in the top of the seventh.

“Thursday against Cuba was a great team win,” said Roach. “Defensively, Kayahna was excellent on the mound getting Cuba City off balance and Wren Hipenbecker had some clutch plays in the hot corner. On a day when Jenna and Kayahna were off at the plate, the rest of the team stepped up to get on base. We had some timely hits in important situations from Bree Gieseke and Kylee Mumm to score runs.”

Fennimore’s early win over Cuba City is a message to the rest of the conference that this year’s Eagles are ready to compete with any team in the league.

“The SWAL is one of the toughest in the state so any night can go either way,” said Roach. “We are focusing on one game at a time, but our goal as a team is to end in the top half of the conference. Thursday night showed that we can make that goal a reality if the girls continue to work like they have in the offseason and first weeks of the season.”

Monday’s game against fellow 2023 SWAL co-champion Boscobel was rained out. The Golden Eagles will now host Southwestern Thursday before traveling to Highland.

Fennimore 3, Cuba City 1
(from Thursday, March 28 @ Fennimore)
Cuba City.....000 000 1   —   1   7  1
Fennimore...010 200 x  —   3   5  1
Leading hitters — F: Kylee Mumm 1x3 (2RBI), Breana Gieseke 2x3 (RBI, R); CC: Josie Kruser 2x4; Ayla Nolan 3x3 (R). 2B — F: Gieske; CC: Kruser. 
W — Kayahna Furrer (2–0, 7IP, 7H, 1ER, 15K, 1BB). L — Paige Gile (6IP, 5H, 3R, 2ER, 7K, 2BB.