Wins remain elusive, but the Fennimore softball team continues to improve as it faces some of the better teams in the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League.

Fennimore tested host Iowa-Grant, who received votes in last week’s WFSCA/WisSports.net rankings, before falling 11-5 on April 14.

“It was 5-2 and then we came back to score three and tie it,” Fennimore coach Jim Prochaska said. “We were tied 5-5 with them and playing pretty well.”

Fennimore junior Cali Streif, senior Whitney Winkers and sophomore pinch-runner Bailey Kreul scored in the fifth inning to tie the game.

In a season where games in frigid temperatures have been the norm, last Thursday’s game was played under bright, sunny skies, which cost the Golden Eagles.

“The sun kind of played into things a little bit,” Prochaska said. “Isabel [Glasbrenner] didn’t have a visor or sunglasses on, and there were two pop ups she couldn’t see.

“They were put right in the air in the right place and two girls got on with those, when we should have had two outs. That cost us a couple runs.”

Fennimore senior Courtney Lenzendorf batted 3-for-4 and Winkers was 2-for-4. Streif scored twice and provided  a sacrifice.

“We hit the ball real well. We had some situations where we were right in the game the whole time,” Prochaska said. “I was pleased with the way we played. We ran the bases well. We hit the ball well, cranked out some runs and looked pretty good.”

While the sun may have caused headaches, the Golden Eagles nearly turned a triple play.

“The bases were loaded and Cali snagged one that looked like it was going to be up the middle,” Prochaska said. “Then she stepped on second for two outs and could have thrown it to third or first, but we got two outs on it.”

Mineral Point, who also received votes in last week’s WFSCA/WisSports.net rankings, hit two home runs in a 16-4 win at Volunteer Field on April 11.

Lenzendorf batted 2-for-3, as did fellow senior Kayla Kephart, to lead Fennimore.

“Courtney is hitting the ball real well and I think she is leading the team,” Prochaska said. “The top part of our lineup has been getting out on top. Kayla has been getting on base, Cali has a sacrifice and then Courtney and Whitney are coming up. That three-four punch is coming through and getting hits.

“All of us, what they are doing is they have all made strides to get better and hopefully we can keep improving. I hope we can keep the hitting up. We are hitting the ball hard, but right at people.”

Prochaska is also proud of the strides his squad has made defensively.

“Kayla has done a really good job at catching so far and she was our shortstop last year. Izzy is doing a really good job at shortstop this year,” he said. “We moved Abrianna Gommel out to third base. Macy [Gunderson] has went out to the outfield and is playing well there. Kennedy [Lee] is doing some things at first. Angie [Maag] is getting used to left field and she is doing some things.”

The Golden Eagles were scheduled to host Boscobel on Monday night and are scheduled to travel to Muscoda to play Riverdale Thursday (today).

“Hopefully we continue to improve,” Prochaska said. “We were hitting the ball pretty well. We just have to make sure we are doing the little things and not getting ourselves into trouble.”