RedTails Split with Cougars
The Hawkeye RedTail Softball Team traveled to Farley, Iowa to take on Northeast Iowa Community College in a conference double header. The RedTails split on the day, winning game one 8-5 and losing game two 6-4.
Game One: 8 (HCC), 5 (NICC)
The first two innings for both teams were scoreless. The RedTails opened up the scoring in the top of the third, when Mackenzie Bridgewater started with a single, stole second base, and scored on an Isabelle Kriegel homerun.
NICC responded in the bottom of the third, scoring on a single, sac bunt, and double.
Up 2-1, the RedTails added more runs to their lead in the top of the fourth. Jordan Eads singled and advanced to second when Emilee Bergmann walked. Bridgewater continued her hot hitting and singled to score Eads. Alyvia Anderson then hit a sacrifice fly to score Bergmann, giving the RedTails a 4-1 lead.
Hawkeey wasn't done scoring in the fifth. Jordan Trueblood singled and advanced to second on a Mya Chamberlin single. An Eads single scored Trueblood, and a wild pitch allowed Chamberlin to score shortly after. Emilee Bergmann then walked to put runners on the corners. Bridgewater then hit another single to score Bergmann, putting the RedTails up 8-1.
The Cougars added two more runs in the fifth, scoring from a RedTail error, single, and double.
The RedTails had a 8-3 lead going into the sixth, but gave up one more run to the Cougars to make the score 8-4. The Cougars added one more run in the bottom of the seventh, but the defense from the RedTails stopped the pressure, ending the game 8-5 in favor of Hawkeye.
At the plate, Bridgewater led the way. She was 4-4 with one run scored, two runs batted in, and three stolen bases. Trueblood and Eads each added two hits. On the mound, Chamberlin got the win, going five innings, giving up six hits, three runs, one earned, four walks, and four strikeouts. Kyra Ballard pitched the last two innings, giving up two hits, two runs, two earned, two walks, and three strikeouts.
Game Two: 4 (HCC), 6 (NICC)
The game went in a similar fashion to game one, having two scoreless innings. Hawkeye put up the first runs in the top of the third. Rylie Devlin hit a double and scored when Bergmann doubled herself. Kriegel hit a single to score Bergmann, giving the RedTails a 2-0 lead.
Hawkeye added one more run in the fourth. Chamberlin hit a two out single and scored on another double from Devlin.
The game was in the RedTails hands until the bottom of the fifth. The Cougars hit a double, hit by pitch, another double, and fielder's choice to score two runs, making it a one run game.
Hawkeye couldn't stop the Cougar offense in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, NICC singled twice and homered to score three, giving them the lead. They added one more run, giving them a 6-3 lead.
The top of the seventh was the last chance for the RedTails. Bridgewater hit a double and scored on a Kriegel single, but the bats couldn't put together any more runs, ending the game in a 6-4 loss for the RedTails.
Kriegel led the way offensively, going 2-4 with two runs batted in. Chamberlin and Devlin each had two hits themselves. Adelyn Sienknecht took the loss, giving up five hits, four runs, three earned, and one strikeout. Lillian McCarty threw 4.1 innings, giving up two hits, two runs, three earned, three walks, and five strikeouts.
The Redtails are back at home April 3rd at 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM against Central Community College.