Lady Jays Softball
Bluejays Bring Energy to the First Softball Tournament
By Avery Brunckhorst
The Bluejays played their first softball tournament of the season at Wayne on Saturday, August 22, against the Twin River Titans, O’Neill Eagles, and the Ponca Indians.
“The struggles from this weekend were definitely the runs we scored. We also left possible runs on base, which really hurt us,” senior Evelyn Skrdla stated.
In their first game against the Twin River Titans, the Bluejays came out of the dugout hot, scoring three runs in the first inning. Maelee Hamilton hit a ground ball, bringing in one run, while Kinley Hilkemann singled, bringing in two runs. At the end of the first inning, the Bluejays led 3-2.
The team scored no runs during the second and third innings but scored one run in the fifth inning making the final score of the game 7-4 in favor of the Titans.
Skrdla led the team with two stolen bases.
In their second game of the day, the Bluejays battled against the O’Neill Eagles. Jessa Kraft and Hamilton led the team with two hits each, with Hamilton bringing in four runs on her two hits. The Bluejays did end up falling short to the Eagles 6-5.
Athena Bretschneider hit a triple, while Skrdla, Kraft, and Hamilton each hit doubles.
After a close loss to the O’Neill Eagles, the Bluejays bounced back in a big way, dominating the Ponca Indians 21-1 in their final game of the tournament. In the first inning, the Bluejays scored 14 runs, building a big lead over the Indians. In the second inning, Pierce brought even more energy, scoring seven more runs.
Pierce not only hit well, recording 11 hits, but they also ran well with Skrdla leading the way with three stolen bases, Eleanor Bauermeister, J. Kraft, and Joslynn Kraft each having two stolen bases. Bretschneider, Cailynn Gardner and Hamilton all had a stolen base too.
“I was happy with our effort. When the opportunity presented itself, we just missed some of those in the two games that we lost,” head coach Ryan Ohnoutka stated.
The Bluejays finished the tournament with positivity and earning a win. Catch the Bluejays at their home game Thursday, August 27, at 5:30 against North Bend.
The Lady Jays Steal a Win
By Raleigh Pfeiffer
Battling out in the heat on the softball field, the Bluejays destroyed the Ponca Indians 16-3 in five innings in their first game of the season.
The Ponca Indians scored the first two runs in the first inning, but the Bluejays came back stronger.
In the second inning, sophomore Eleanor Bauermeister scored the first run. This was just the beginning of what came to be a great night, with the first five runs scored in just the second inning while the Indians fell behind with only two runs.
In the third inning, the Bluejays excelled and scored four more runs while the Indians scored once due to the Bluejays solid defense.
After one more run for Pierce, the Bluejays led 10-3 heading into the fourth inning, and the Indians could not stop their momentum. The Blue Jays scored six more runs. Ending the game with the Bluejays run ruling the Indians, Pierce took home the win.
Head coach Ryan Ohnoutka proudly says his team’s success against the Indians was because, “We hit the ball really well up and down the line up.” Ohnoutka most looks forward to his team “working together and playing for each other,”
Many players had an amazing game, including Bauermeister, a sophomore, who had a batting average of 1.00. The top Bluejay scorers were Bauermeister, junior Maelee Hamilton, and senior Evelyn Skrdla, all with three runs.
Senior Jessa Kraft dominated the hitting game with four hits and had a team-leading six RBIs, or runs batted in.
Kaelyn Halsey, the pitcher of the night who had an impressive four strikeouts, says that was a great way to start the season because, “I think this game sets a good foundation for us to build and grow from, and it shows the progress we’ve already made”.
Catch the Bluejays at their first home game of the season on August 27 at 5:30 p.m. as they face off against the North Bend Tigers.
