With its 9-3 victory over Richland Center last Friday evening, the Lancaster varsity softball team captured the program’s eighth straight Southwest Wisconsin Conference title.
Friday’s win gave coach Jeff Pross and his Flying Arrows a SWC record of 9-0, which they improved to 10-0 this past Monday with a win over Platteville.
This year’s expectations may have been a little cloudier than in past years, when coach Pross learned he wouldn’t have returning pitcher Taylor Holzinger in the circle.
The team rallied around Andrea Duncan though and by the end of the year claimed yet another conference title.
“It feels fantastic to win eight conference titles in a row, no one really gave us much of a chance after losing our returning pitcher in Taylor Holzinger,” said coach Pross. Andrea Duncan has done a fantastic job of stepping in, taking charge, and leading the way on the mound.”
Pross realizes that a program doesn’t have the success they have at Lancaster without talent year in and year out.
“I have been blessed with some outstanding players over the years from 2005 to 2012 to make this possible,” Pross said. “I appreciate all of the girls who have played in the program in the past, as well as the terrific group I have this year.”
Lancaster’s week started off last Tuesday with a 4-2 victory over host Dodgeville, where the Arrows pounded out seven hits to the Dodger’s one.
Taylor Holzinger led the way with two hits in two at bats, including an RBI double in the seventh inning.
Kate Noble went 2-for-3 in the game, while Duncan was 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the fifth.
Duncan also collected the win in the pitching circle, giving up two runs, one earned, off one hit, while striking out six batters and walking one.
The following Thursday night the Arrows snuck out a 1-0 victory over visiting Prairie du Chien, each team managing just two hits, while Lancaster committed four errors.
The only run of the game came in the second inning when Emily Martin hit an RBI single to score Tiffany Leeser, who reached base on a walk.
In seven innings of work, Duncan struck out three batters and walked two, while giving up two hits in the shutout.
In last Friday’s game to clinch the conference title, Lancaster used nine hits to defeat the host Hornets, 9-3.
Leading the offensive attack was Stephanie Tranel, who went 3-for-3 in the game.
Emily Martin went 2-for-3, while Ella Marcue was 2-for-4, as was Bridgette Pross.
Marcue had three RBIs to her credit, one coming on a double in the sixth inning.
As for Duncan, the senior pitcher gave up three runs, two earned, off nine hits, while striking out seven Hornet batters and walking two.
In their final conference game of the season played this past Monday, the Arrows gutted out a 2-1 victory over visiting Platteville in eight innings.
After giving up one run in the top of the eighth inning, Lancaster got a huge boost from Tiffany Leeser in the bottom half of the inning.
With Taylor Holzinger reaching base on an error, followed by a walk to Ella Marcue, Kate Noble hit a fly ball to centerfield for the first out of the inning.
Leeser then stepped up to the plate, and with two strikes and no balls, ripped a double to score both Holzinger and Marcue and win the game.
Leeser went 2-for-4 in the game with two RBIs, leading Lancaster who only had three hits total.
Duncan gave up one unearned run off five hits, while striking out 12 batters and walking three.
Following a couple non-conference games at Waupun this Saturday, the Arrows will move on to regional play beginning Thursday, May 24. However, if Lancaster gets the No. 1 seed in their regional bracket as they should, they would received a bye on May 24, and play on Tuesday, May 29.
Lancaster 4, Dodgeville 2
(from Tuesday, May 8)
Lancaster 100 020 1 - 4 7 1
Dodgeville 100 100 0 - 2 1 1
Leading hitters - L: Noble 2x3, Holzinger 2x2, Duncan 2x4; D: Dalsing 2x3. 2B - Noble (L), Holzinger (L), Loy (D). W - Duncan (7IN, 6K, 1BB). L - Arnold (7IN, 9K, 6BB).
Lancaster 1,
Prairie du Chien 0
(from Thursday, May 3)
PdC 000 000 0 - 0 2 0
Lancaster 010 000 x - 1 2 4
W - Duncan (6IN, 3K, 2BB). L - Wilkin (7IN, 3K, 2BB).
Lancaster 9,
Richland Center 3
(from Friday, May 11)
Lancaster 002 303 1 - 9 9 0
Richland Center 110 100 0 - 3 10 4
Leading hitters - L: Marcue 2x4, Tranel 2x4; RC: Simpson 2x3, Luxton 2x3. 2B - Martin (L), Holzinger (L), Marcue 2 (L), Simpson (RC), Meeker (RC). 3B - Leeser (L). HR - Simpson (RC). W - Duncan (7IN, 6K, 1BB). L - Meeker (3IN, 1K, 4BB). Other pitchers - RC: Goplin (4IN, 2K, 4BB).
Lancaster 2, Platteville 1
(from Monday, May 14)
Platteville 000 000 01 - 1 5 2
Lancaster 000 000 02 - 2 3 1
Leading hitters - P: Holmes 2x4; L: Leeser 2x4. 3B - Leeser (L). W - Andrea Duncan (8IN, 12K, 3BB). L - Schlueter (8IN, 8K, 3BB).
