Four more victories for MFL MarMac softball team
Abby Koslowski had one hit and an RBI in game one of a doubleheader sweep of Postville on July 8. (Photo by Audrey Posten)
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
The MFL MarMac softball team went 4-2 last week, in the final stretch of the regular season, with doubleheader sweeps of Kee and Postville and two losses at Turkey Valley.
The Bulldogs started the week July 6, at Kee, winning game one 6-5. The team held just a narrow 5-4 edge over the Hawks going into the top of the seventh, but pushed one run across to make it 6-4. Kee tacked on a run in the bottom of the inning, but failed to add more.
Abby Schellhorn doubled twice in the game and scored three of the Bulldogs’ six runs. Lauren Haberichter was 1-2 with an RBI, and Jordan Schubert and Brinan Berger each singled and scored a run.
Haberichter pitched seven innings for MFL MarMac, surrendering seven hits and three earned runs. She racked up six strikeouts.
Game two was all about the big inning. The Bulldogs led 7-3 heading into the bottom of the fourth thanks to four runs in the top of the frame, but Kee responded with six runs of their own, taking a 9-7 advantage. MFL MarMac snatched the lead back with five runs in the fifth inning, then added three more in the sixth to win 15-9.
Schubert had her third four-hit night in two weeks, and scored four of the team’s runs. Keri Picha was 3-3 with an RBI and four runs scored, while Berger’s stat line included two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. Abby Koslowski added two hits and an RBI, and Haberichter walked four times, drove in a run and scored once herself.
The Bulldogs’ winning momentum was stalled July 7, at Turkey Valley. The Trojans won the opening match-up 7-2 after breaking open a 3-2 lead with a four-run sixth inning.
MFL MarMac mustered just three hits in the game, with one each coming from Picha, Schubert and Ashley Shaw. Mackenzy Ruff had an RBI.
Hits were even harder to come by in the second game, which Turkey Valley won 15-0. The Bulldogs accumulated just two, one from Schubert and the other from Ruff.
Things improved offensively the following night, July 8, at Postville. MFL MarMac dashed out five runs to start game one, then tacked on in the third, fifth and sixth innings to win 10-0.
Haberichter held the Pirates to a single hit in six innings, while striking out 11 batters and walking no one.
Offensively, Shaw was 2-3 with two RBIs, a stolen base and two runs scored. Berger tallied two hits, including a double, drove in a run and scored once. Picha finished the game 2-4 with a run scored, and Schellhorn singled, walked, stole a base and scored twice.
The Bulldogs continued to roll in the second game of the doubleheader. The final score was 14-2, thanks to six runs in the first inning and four each in the second and fourth.
Schellhorn did a lot of that damage, picking up three hits, swiping two bags and scoring three times. Schubert also had three hits—all three of them triples—and stole a base and scored a run. Lauren Kishman went 2-3, including a double, with three RBIs and two runs scored, while Berger singled, stole a base, drove in a run and scored two times.
Haberichter pitched another four innings, allowing just three hits and one walk and striking out seven Pirates. The two runs were not earned.
The victories upped the Bulldogs’ season record to 10-5 and Upper Iowa Conference standing to 10-4. The team finished second in the conference behind Turkey Valley, which went a perfect 16-0 against Upper Iowa opponents; they were 17-1 overall.
MFL MarMac began its postseason run Monday night against Postville, with the winner moving on to play at North Linn on Wednesday, July 15, at 7 p.m.
