WOODWARD — Memories of a tough 2-1 loss in eight innings were erased Tuesday when Woodward-Granger dismissed Des Moines Christian, 7-1, in their WCAC rematch, a game which featured little of the drama as their earlier meeting.
The Lions (12-10, 5-6) were out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but two runs in the home half of the frame put the Hawks (9-14, 5-5) into the lead for good. W-G added a single run in the fourth, three in the fifth and another in the sixth to open a 7-1 margin, with a DMC run in the top of the seventh setting the final score.
Beth Zimmer singled and scored to put the guests in front in the second, but the rally was dampened when Hawk right fielder Kendra Husmann fired a strike to catcher Maggi Mallon to nail DMC’s Hailey Riemenschneider at the plate as she tried to score on an error.
Mallon started the W-G second with a single, with consecutive singles from Bree Lesch, Husmann and Alissa Smeltzer plating a pair of Hawk runs.
Lesch reached on a bunt single and scored on a Husmann base hit in the fourth, with singles from Miranda Aunspach and Riley Jamison starting a W-G rally in the fifth. Kaycee Major singled home one run and Mallon drove in two others as the margin grew to 6-1.
W-G manufactured a run in the sixth, with Katelyn Bandstra ripping a single to open the frame. She moved to second on a wild pitch, then went to third when Aunspach grounded out to second base. Jamison grounded out to second base three pitches later, bringing in Bandstra.
DMC’s Samantha Reed walked and eventually scored on an Olivia Penland base hit in the seventh, but the margin was far to great for the visitors to make up as W-G snapped a four-game losing skid.
Jamison yielded two runs (one earned) on seven hits and two walks in earning the win from the circle.
Husmann had the assist on the put-out at the plate and made a long, running catch to rob a Lion batter of extra bases while finishing 3-for-3 at the plate herself, driving in two runs in the process.
Mallon had two hits and two RBIs and Lesch two hits and two runs scored, with Smeltzer, Major and Jamison each having a hit and a RBI. Bandstra and Aunspach also had singles as part of a 12-hit attack.
Penland yielded seven runs (six earned) and a walk while striking out seven in six frames.
The victory came one day after a pair of rough losses at Ogden in a WCAC twibill Monday. The Bulldogs were 10-4 winners as the home team in the first game, then, playing as the visitors, scored a 7-0 win in the nightcap.
W-G scored three times in their first at-bat in the opener, only to have Ogden cross the dish five times in their first trip to the plate. The Bulldogs lead, 8-3, before the Hawks scored once in the fifth, but two tallies from the hosts in the bottom of the inning helped seal any doubt of the outcome.
Jamison was touched for 10 runs (nine earned) on 11 hits. She walked five batters, hit one and struck out another.
Run-scoring singles from Jamison, Major and Mallon accounted for the first three W-G runs, with Aunspach driving home the Hawk tally in the fifth.
Aunspach and Major finished with two hits each, with Jamison, Mallon and Lesch also adding singles.
Ogden’s first inning spurt began with three singles, a walk and a three-run Denali Loecker home run. Elle Laws added a two-run home run later in the game.
Kennedy Kruse picked up the pitching win. She surrendered four runs on seven hits while walking a pair of batters and striking out two.
Loecker dominated the action in the nightcap, recording the shutout while yielding only four hits and two walks while striking out five.
Ogden scored once in the second and then six times in the fifth. Three consecutive singles, a Meredith Adreon double, a Laws double one out later and a two-run Loecker home run accounted for the surge.
Mallon had two hits for W-G, with Husmann and Lesch adding one hit each.
Elly Polich started and threw 4-1/3 frames for the Hawks. She allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and a walk while striking out one. Ava Peterson added 2-2/3 frames of relief, surrendering two hits and issuing three walks while striking out one.
W-G hosts West Central Valley Thursday for a varsity twinbill and will then play Friday and Saturday at the Clear Creek-Amana Tournament, which is played in Iowa City.
