VAN METER — The potent Van Meter offense was in full swing Thursday, scoring a total of 27 runs on 34 hits in a pair of five-inning wins over visiting Woodward-Granger in WCAC softball.
The Bulldogs (14-5, 9-2) were 12-2 winners in the opening game before finishing the evening with a 15-5 victory against the Hawks, who fell to 4-18 overall and 1-10 in league action.
Emma Anderson singled and scored on a one-out Natalie Weaver double in the top of the first of game one, with a Katelyn Scharlau base hit plating Weaver for a 2-0 W-G lead.
From that point on it was all Bulldogs, as the hosts scored once in the first and three times in the third to grab a 4-2 lead. The margin swelled to 9-2 after five Van Meter runs in the fourth, with three tallies in the fifth ending the game early.
Haley Forret allowed two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out five in grabbing the pitching win. She helped herself at the plate with a single, double and three RBIs, with Mindy Abrahamson adding a single, a double and two RBIs while Meagan Blomgren had two doubles, a single and two RBIs while scoring three times.
Anderson would later add a double to her box score, with Brylee Bice adding a single while Chloe Houge drew a walk.
Ava Petersen yielded 12 runs (nine earned) on 15 hits and a walk in 4-1/3 frames. She struck out two.
Van Meter led, 4-1, in the nightcap before the Hawks scored four times in the bottom of the third to surge in front, 5-4.
The challenge was accepted, with the Bulldogs scoring five times in the fourth and six more times in the fifth to put the mercy rule into effect when the Hawks could not score at least once in the bottom of the fifth.
Rian Jamison allowed 15 runs (only six of which were earned) on 19 hits and five walks. She struck out one batter.
Scharlau had three hits, Bice two and Petersen and Houge one apiece, with Scharlau, Houge, Jamison and Allie Moore each driving in a run.
Blomgren allowed five hits and four walks while surrendering five runs (two earned) in 2-1/3 innings. Forret won in 2-2/3 of action in relief. She allowed two hits and walk. Both Bulldog pitchers recorded one strikeout.
W-G plays Saydel at 10 a.m. and Grand View Christian at 2 p.m. Saturday as they host the Phil Creese Classic. Saydel and GVC will play the 12 p.m. game.
