BOSCOBEL - The Lady Bulldogs, following their come from behind win earlier last week, took on the Southwestern Wildcats at Boscobel last Thursday and produced another exciting game in which they fell short in the end.
The Wildcats took the lead in the first, scoring an unearned run. Boscobel evened the score in the second when sophomore Rachel Yahn delivered a two-out single to score freshman Leah Wacker from second base. Both pitchers and defenses settled in and the score was tied 1-1 going into the fifth.
The Wildcats then put two on the board, stringing together five of the seven hits allowed by Boscobel pitcher Olivia Grassel. The Bulldogs countered with a run in the bottom of the frame. Sophomores Emily Johnson and Alyssa Davis walked to lead off the inning and Johnson scored on a two-out RBI single by Grassel.
The score sat at 3-2 going into the bottom of the seventh. With a pair of walks to sophomore Danielle Ernst and Grassel, Boscobel had the tying run at 2B and the winner at 1B, but were unable to deliver.
The lost put Boscobel at 1-1 on the season.
Vs. Riverdale
On Monday, April 11, the Lady Bulldogs traveled to Muscoda to take on Riverdale, facing one of the SWAL’s top returning pitchers. It was a pitcher’s duel through two innings, but in the third Boscobel’s offense came alive. Once again, following the two-out scoring theme that has been the case early this season, the Bulldogs scored four with two outs. Johnson drew a two out walk, followed by a single from Davis. Yahn delivered a run scoring single to make it 1-0. Junior Hailey Bray then delivered the big blow with a bases loaded triple to make it 4-0, Bulldogs.
Shoddy defense by Boscobel hurt them in the fourth with four errors allowing the Chieftains to close the score to 4-2.
In the top of the fifth Boscobel got the two runs back. Emily Johnson drew a walk to start the fifth. One out later Yahn picked up her second hit of the game. Grassel reached on an error to load the bases and Leah Wacker, again with two-out, lined a single to right center to score two, making the score 6-2.
The Bulldogs tacked on an insurance run in the seventh. Grassel singled, and once again Wacker came up with a two out hit to score her. Riverdale mounted a rally, scoring two in the bottom of the seventh, but Grassel ended it, fielding the final groundball herself and sealing the win, 7-4.
Boscobel is now 2-1 in SWAL play.
Grassel picked up her second win of the season, allowing six hits, allowing just one walk and striking out 13. Only two of the four runs were earned. Yahn and Wacker were both two for four and Bray had the triple with three RBI.
Vs. Westby
On Tuesday, April 12, the team traveled to Westby for a tough non-conference matchup.
Senior Sydney Williams started the game as pitcher and threw extremely well for three innings.
In the second, a walk by Johnson, a single by Allie Pickett and bunt single by Freshman Melena Tomas loaded the bases. One out later, two runs were scored on a single by Alyssa Davis. Grassel walked to start the third and scored on Emily Johnson’s two-out single, making it 3-1 Boscobel.
The Westby bats got hot and the Bulldog defense struggled as Westby put up four runs in the fourth. Meanwhile, Boscobel’s offense mounted their own threat in the fifth. Wacker, Johnson, Pickett, and Miranda Beinborn drew consecutive walks to produce a run. Alyssa Davis then lined a pitch down the left field line for a two run double, making the score 6-5, Boscobel.
Westby countered with another big inning, scoring four in the sixth and taking a 9-6 lead. The Bulldogs threatened in the top of the sixth, loading the bases but failing to score.
The final score was Westby, 10, Boscobel 6.
Boscobel had opportunities offensively, leaving twelve runners stranded on the evening. The loss evens the Bulldog’s season record at 2-2.
