HUXLEY — Woodward-Granger finished 0-3 at the Ballard Classic Saturday, with two of their losses coming against ranked opponents. The setbacks followed a home loss to Class 4A Bondurant-Farrar in non-conference play Friday.
W-G (0-10) narrowly missed upsetting Class 2A No. 8 Central Springs (5-4), 4-3, Saturday, before dropping a 12-0 decision to Clarke (2-4) and coming up on the wrong side of a 14-4 outcome against 1A No. 13 BCLUW (7-3). The setbacks came after a 15-3 home loss to Bondurant-Farrar (6-5) Friday.
Central Springs used consecutive home runs from Hannah Ausenbus and Madisyn Kelley to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning, then moved in front, 3-0, when Lizzy Hamand launched a solo shot in the second.
W-G scored twice in the fourth, with Rian Jamison driving home one of the two runs. Hamand singled home a Panther run for a 4-2 Central Springs lead in the sixth, but the Hawks countered when Chloe Houge tripled and scored on an Allie Moore pinch-hit double. Unfortunately the tying run could not be scored and the game ended on a time limit.
Kenzie Carrick and Bella Milosevich also had hits for W-G, with Ava Petersen assessed the pitching loss. She yielded four runs on six hits and four walks while hitting one batter and striking out two.
Clarke dispatched W-G in five frames, with Alexis Watson hitting a two-run home run. She allowed just three hits and a walk while striking out six. Ten Indians had RBIs, with eight players recording at least one hit.
Natalie Weaver had a double for the Hawks, with Houge and Alexandria Mehrhoff adding singles while Jamison walked.
Brylee Bice surrendered 12 runs on eight walks and nine hits while recording one strikeout.
W-G had a 3-0 lead on BCLUW, but the Comets scored five times for a 5-3 edge. The Hawks closed to within 5-4, but four runs in the fourth and five more in the fifth gave Beaman-Conrad-Liscomb-Union-Whitten the five-inning win.
Kiersten Kruse allowed four runs (two earned) on eight Hawk hits. She issued one walk and struck out eight.
Madison Ubben had a double, two singles, three runs and a RBI and Cate Nelson three hits and three RBIs for the Comets. Parker Scurr notched a single, a double and four RBIs while Kruse aided her own cause with two hits and three RBIs.
Emma Anderson led W-G with three hits and a RBI, with Houge adding two hits. Weaver, Milosevich and Jamsion also provided hits, with Anderson scoring twice while Houge and Milosevich also touched the dish. Anderson and Houge stole two bases apiece, with Jamison and Milosevich each also swiping a bag.
Jamison was touched for 14 runs (eight were, unofficially, unearned) on 14 hits — many of them bunt singles. She fanned three batters and walked one.
B-F had jumped on W-G early Friday, plating six second-inning runs and four more in the third before the hosts countered with three runs of their own in the third. Five Lady Jays touched home in the fourth, setting up the early conclusion.
Maeci WIlliams tossed three innings for B-F, allowing three runs on four hits while walking three and striking out three. Riley Gilroy retired two batters on strikes and issued one walk in one frame of relief.
Addie Ehlers did all the damage the guests would need, having a single, a double and a home run while driving in five runs. Josie Carter had two singles, a double and two RBIs while scoring three times for B-F.
Audrey Simmons singled and scored on a two-out Weaver hit in the Hawk half of the third, with Katelyn Scharlau walking. Pinch runner Abby Pommrehn and Weaver scored when Jamison hit a pinch-hit double.
Maddi Danti had a double for the hosts, with Houge and Milosevich each drawing a walk while Scharlau walked twice.
Petersen allowed 15 runs on 14 hits. She hit one batter, walked another and recorded a strikeout.
W-G faces a busy week, especially if the weather holds. They host Ogden tonight, visit Madrid Tuesday and will entertain Pleasantville for a varsity doubleheader Thursday. The team will then host the annual W-G Classic Friday and Saturday.
