Big plays aplenty as W-G girls rally past Van Meter

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The W-G girls swatted six doubles to help capture a 9-7 WCC win over host Van Meter in eight innings Tuesday.

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VAN METER — Woodward-Granger softball head coach Noah Bean called out his offense after a four-game losing skid, saying after Monday’s loss to Southeast Valley that “It is time for the offense to come through and help out.”

His team heard the message, loud and clear, as the Hawks had 12 hits — six of them doubles — in a 9-7 WCC win over host Van Meter in eight innings Tuesday.

“Our seniors were very clutch for us tonight,” Bean said. “Alison (Soelberg) got us a big RBI in the fifth as well as making some tough outs (at second base) in the field. We also moved Miranda (Aunspach) down to the nine spot to help get some production out of the bottom of our lineup and it worked well tonight, as she was 2-for-4 with two doubles.”

W-G (3-4, 3-0) is ranked No. 7 in Class 2A and received a big boost Tuesday when junior Dalaney Bice stepped onto the diamond to play third base. Bice, wearing a brace on her knee, has opted to try and see if she can play through a torn ACL. She was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles.

The Hawks held a 6-1 lead until the Bulldogs plated five runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game. A Van Meter run in the bottom of the seventh threatened to be the decisive score, but W-G answered in the top of the seventh.

A key bunt from Annie Webb pushed the tying run to third base, with a sacrifice fly from Alyssa Bice putting the score at 7-all.

Aunspach doubled in the top of the eighth, moving to third when Kendra Husmann reached on an infield error. An alert Aunspach broke for home and was safe when the first baseman and pitcher failed to be aware of the situation after the error, with Husmann running to second on the play. A ground out pushed Husmann to third, from where she scored on a Bree Lesch RBI-single.

Riley Jamison kept the hosts off the board in the eighth to preserve the win. She went all eight frames on the rubber, allowing seven runs (five earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out three.

Meagan Bandstra had two doubles and a single while driving in three runs, with Aunspach hitting two doubles while Husmann and Webb also smacked doubles. Jamison had two hits as well, with Lesch scoring twice, as did courtesy runner Josie Baumgartner.

“We still have a tough week ahead,” Bean concluded. “We go to Ogden Thursday, have Bondurant-Farrar at home Friday and then go to Belle Plaine Saturday. We will play Belle Plaine and then either Nevada or Benton Community Saturday.”

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No. 7 WOODWARD-GRANGER 9, VAN METER 7 (8)

at Van Meter, June 2

Team                        R  H  E

W-G   213 010 12 — 9 12  x

VM    001 051 00 —  7  6  x

W-G: Jamison and Bandstra. WP: Jamison (3-3). 2B — W-G: Bandstra 2, Aunspach 2, Husmann, Webb.

 

 

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