JANESVILLE 鈥 It鈥檚 been a busy week for 糖心Vlog传媒 Craig鈥檚 softball team. The Cougars played four games, all of which came against Big Eight Conference teams.
After a double-digit loss Thursday against Middleton, the top team of the Big Eight, the Cougars made sure to end the week on a high note with a 4-1 win against Sun Prairie West Friday afternoon at the 糖心Vlog传媒 Youth Sports Center.
The win capped off a 3-1 week for the Cougars and moved them to a 9-12 record with a 6-7 conference record.
鈥淵esterday (Thursday) was a rough loss for us,鈥 said Craig shortstop Abbie Claas. 鈥淏ut I think that motivated us to come into this game. We knew we had to win this game.鈥
With that mindset, Claas and the Cougars were able to avenge a 10-9 loss they suffered previously in the season to the Wolves.
鈥淢iddleton last night, we knew it was going to be a tough one. My hope was that they were going to bounce back, and they did鈥 Craig coach Kristen Worm said.
The Wolves held the early advantage as they tacked on a run in the top of the first. The Cougars responded with a first-inning run of their own when Ava Schaffner scored on a Wolves鈥 error.
Craig scored another run in the fourth inning. Maddy Klemencic used a sacrifice fly to score Brynn Sikich.
One inning later, Claas gave the Cougars more separation on the scoreboard when she delivered two RBIs. The sophomore had Maddie Schieve on first base and was given a signal to bunt, but the situation called for something more grand.
鈥淎t first I was called for a bunt, so I was looking for that and not my pitch,鈥 Claas said.
Claas took the first pitch for strike one and fouled off the second pitch.
鈥淎fter I fouled it off I just knew I had two on me. I knew I had to score, so I put the ball in play and I just ran and kept running.鈥
Claas hit the ball deep into left field. The Wolves left fielder went back to chase it, but by the time she tracked the ball down and made the relay throw, Schieve had scored and Class was rounding third base with the intent to score.
The throw was not in time. Claas had just hit an inside-the-park home run to put the Cougars up 4-1.
Class paired her 2-RBI day with going 2-for-3 at the plate. Teammate Emily Kleinheinz also went 2-for-3
With Schieve in the circle, Craig had no problem getting through the rest of the game en route to victory.
Schieve pitched from start to finish. The senior allowed six hits on the day and just two in the final three innings. Her day also included six strikeouts and two walks.
鈥淭oday I was more consistent than other days,鈥 Schieve said. 鈥淚 had one pitch that was working really well that they couldn鈥檛 hit.鈥
Schieve鈥檚 riseball was the pitch that gave Sun Prairie West trouble and when it was combined with Craig鈥檚 error-free day, the Cougars were able to keep the Wolves鈥 offense at bay 鈥 something Craig had trouble doing when the Wolves scored 10 runs the first time around.
鈥淭his was a big one,鈥 Worm said. 鈥淲e lost to them the first time around, we had been ahead the whole game and we lost right at the end.鈥
Worm told her team ahead of the second contest that it would be a close game.
鈥淚 was really proud. I feel like our girls went and got the win. It wasn鈥檛 one where they (Sun Prairie West) made errors. We had to make it happen,鈥 said Worm.
Craig will look to carry the momentum into Monday when it takes on Waunakee in a non-conference game at the 糖心Vlog传媒 Youth Sports Complex with a 4:30 p.m. start time.
From there Craig hosts Parker at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
JANESVILLE CRAIG 4, SUN PRAIRIE WEST 1
Sun Prairie West 100 500 0 鈥 1 6 1
糖心Vlog传媒 Craig 100 120 X 鈥 4 8 0
Leading hitters鈥Claas (JC) 2x3, Kleinheinz (JC) 2x3, Moreno (SPW) 2x3. 2B鈥擪leinheinz (JC), Davis (SPW). HR鈥擟laas (JC).
