BELMONT — Senior Emma Eastlick’s two-run double in the fifth inning proved to be the game-winning hit as Belmont scored a crucial 4-2 victory over visiting Potosi at Bond Park on Wednesday, April 24, in a battle between defending Six Rivers West champions.
    Eastlick’s clutch two-out base knock gave the Braves a 3-1 lead they would never relinquish.
    Belmont’s senior ace Kalyn Kamps limited the hot-hitting Chieftains to just one earned run on five hits in seven innings. She struck out 10 and didn’t allow a walk.
    Potosi entered Wednesday’s showdown having won six straight games, scoring 94 runs– an average of 15.7 runs per game– over that stretch.
    “Potosi is a really good team and I am happy that we were able to get the win,” said Belmont head coach Jeff Hodgson. “Kalyn pitched very well and we took advantage of situations in the fifth inning to score some runs. I felt we did a great job of manufacturing runs late in the game.”
    Potosi scored the game’s first run in the top of the second on a throwing error.
    Kamps struck out senior Kate Mish to apparently end the inning, but a dropped third strike and Belmont catcher Katelyn Schobert’s ensuing errant throw to first allowed Potosi’s Rylie Bausch to score from third.
    The game remained a one-run pitcher’s duel until the fifth inning.
    Belmont sophomore Mallary Ray led off the bottom of the fifth with a single and freshman Brook Knebel followed with a bunt single.
    Schobert got hit by a pitch, but was called out on strikes for leaning into the strike zone on strike three.
    Audrey Wedig followed with a RBI-single to tie the score at 1-1.
    After a fly out, Eastlick hit a hard shot down the third base line that deflected off the tip of Mish’s glove and trickled into foul play down the left field line allowing Knebel and Wedig to both score on the play.
    Jenna Kruser’s two-out single in the top of the sixth plated Dawn Dines to trim the Potosi deficit to 3–2.
    Belmont added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning when junior Emma Lee smacked a lead off double and later scored on Ray’s fielder’s choice grounder.
    Potosi junior Emilie Rojemann took the loss, but pitched her best game of the season allowing just four runs on seven hits. She struck out eight and walked only two.
    On Thursday, April 25, Belmont pounded out 27 hits in a two-game sweep at Cassville/River Ridge.
    Emma Lee went 2-for-4 and drove in four runs in the opener and Schobert added a two-run homer in the Braves’ five-run fourth inning as Belmont held off a late rally to hold on for a 14-8 win.
    The Comets scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to make a blowout a much closer game.
    Lee went 2-for-2 and again drove in four runs in the nightcap as the Braves scored a 16–6 five-inning victory as the “home” team in the second game of the doubleheader.
    Cunzenheim went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs in the victory.
    Kamps was much sharper in game two allowing just two earned runs on four hits while striking out six and walking two.
    “I am glad we got out of Cassville with the sweep,” added Hodgson. “We are hurt a little and it was a challenge.”
    Then, on Friday, April 26, the Braves blanked Fennimore 10-0 in five innings. Kamps allowed just two hits en route to her ninth win of the season.
    Finally, on Monday, April 29, Belmont (10-2 overall) improved to 5-0 in the Six Rivers West with a 13-3 six-inning victory over visiting Shullsburg/Benton.
    Cunzenheim went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple to lead the Braves, who scored multiple runs in four innings.
    Eastlick went 2-for-4, while Shullsburg/Benton pitcher Melissa Brant went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the guests.
    The Miner-Zephyrs were roughed up on the softball diamond over the last week as they dropped four games to fall to 0-7 on the season and 0-3 in the Six Rivers West.
    In addition to Monday’s loss to Belmont, the co-op fell to Potosi, 12-4, in their SRW opener at home on Tuesday, April 23, and then dropped a 17-4 SRW decision at Highland on Thursday, April 25.
    Brant went 2-for-3 with a triple and a double and Nicole Champion was 2-for-4 against Potosi.
    At Benton, on Saturday, April 27, the Miner-Zephyrs came up on the short end of a 9-3 non-conference decision to the Southwestern Wildcats.
    The Wildcats scored seven runs in the top of the first inning and coasted the rest of the way to earn the win.
    The Braves will host the Chieftains Wednesday in a make-up from last Thursday. Belmont will then travel to Cassville/River Ridge on Thursday.
    Shullsburg/Benton hosts Highland in a make-up game on Monday, May 6 (5 p.m.), and the co-op heads to Cassville for a doubleheader with River Ridge/Cassville on Tuesday, May 7 (4:30 p.m.).

Potosi…… 010  001  0 – 2  5  1
Belmont… 000  031  x – 4  7  3
Leading Hitters: Brook Knebel 2x2. 3B–Daisy Cunzenheim. 2B– Katelyn Schobert, Emma Eastlick, Emma Lee.
WP- Kalyn Kamps. LP- Rojemann.
   
GAME ONE
Belmont… 002  054  3 – 14  17  2
RR/Cass… 101  001  5 –   8  11  2
Leading Hitters: Audrey Wedig 3x5, Daisy Cunzenheim 3x5, Katelyn Schobert 2x4, Mallary Ray 2x4, Holly Voigts 2x4, Kayln Kamps 2x5. HR– Schobert. 2B– Schobert, Cunzenheim, Brook Knebel.
WP- Kalyn Kamps. LP- White.

GAME WO
RR/Cass… 005  10 –   6    4  4
Belmont… 355  3x – 16  10  2
Leading Hitters: Emma Lee 2x2, Daisy Cunzenheim 2X3, Holly Voigts 2x4. 2B– Lee (2), Daisy Cunzenheim.
WP- Kalyn Kamps. LP- Phillips.

Belmont…… 523  00 – 10  12  2
Fennimore… 000  00 –   0    2  0
Leading Hitters: Audrey Wedig 2x3, Kayln Kamps 2x3, Emma Lee 2x3, Emma Eastlick 2x3. 2B– Kamps, Lee.
WP- Kalyn Kamps. LP- Strack.

Shulls/Bent… 100  002 –   3    6  3
Belmont…….. 412  303 – 13  10  1
Leading Hitters: Shulls/Bent- Melissa Brant 2x3. Bel– Emma Eastlick 2x3, Daisy Cunzenheim 2x4. 3B–Cunzenheim. 2B– Cunzenheim, Kalyn Kamps.
WP- Kalyn Kamps. LP- Melissa Brant.

Shulls/Bent… 100  002 –   3    6  3
Belmont…….. 412  303 – 13  10  1
Leading hitters:
WP- Kamps. LP- Melissa Brant.

Southwestern… 700  101  0 – 9  12  4
Shulls/Bent…… 010  010  1 – 3    7  4
Leading hitters: SoWest– Abby Kunkel 2x4, Karissa Doyle 3x3, Kelsey Batteram 2x4, Kalee Klein 2x4. 2B- Emma Droeszler, Batteram. Shulls/Bent- Melissa Brant 3x4.
WP- Morgan Kuhl. LP- Melissa Brant.

Potosi………. 130  312  2 – 12  15  1
Shulls/Bent… 202  000  0 –   4    6  7
Leading hitters: Nicole Champion 2x4, Melissa Brant 2x3. 3B- Brant. 2B- Brant.
WP- Langmeier. LP- Melissa Brant.

Shulls/Bent… 000  000  0 –   4
Highland……. 000  000  0 – 17
Leading hitters: NA.
WP- NA. LP- NA.