Norse softball team loses first two

The Whitehall softball team had a difficult time keeping its opponents off the board in two losses last week.

The Norse opened its season on Thursday with a 15-0 loss in Altoona. The team was closer at Eleva-Strum on Friday but gave up 10 runs in a five-run loss.

Whitehall was set to play at Melrose-Mindoro on Tuesday of this week before its home opener against Augusta on Friday. This coming Monday the team will play at Independence/Gilmanton before taking on Osseo-Fairchild on Thursday. 

Altoona 15 Whitehall 0

The Norse struggled all around defensively, allowing eight hits and eight walks while committing four errors that contributed to six unearned runs.

Altoona took a 3-0 lead in the first inning before breaking the game open with 10 runs in the second. They added two more in the fourth to win by rule.

Taylor Johnson had Whitehall’s only hit, a single in the top of the first inning. 

Kelsie Klomsten got the start and pitched the first inning, walking three with one hit, one strikeout and three earned runs allowed. Regan Clatt took over in the second, allowing seven hits and five walks while striking out two. 

E-S 10 Whitehall 5

Whitehall was better pretty much across the board in its second game, but it wasn’t quite enough to get past the Cardinals.

The Norse got off to a strong start when Harlow Foss scored on a dropped third strike. Taylor Johnson later stole home and Carson Coburn scored on a groundout hit by Klomsten to put Whitehall ahead 3-0.

That lead held until the bottom of the third when the Cardinals put up four runs on two hits, two hit batters and two walks. E-S added two more runs in the fourth to take a 6-3 lead.

An error helped spark a four-run sixth inning that put E-S ahead 10-3. 

Consecutive RBI singles by Coburn and Klomsten brought the Norse closer in the top of the seventh, but that’s as close as the team would get.

Johnson had two of Whitehall’s six hits in the game while Klomsten had two RBIs.

Klomsten and Clatt again split the pitching duties with Klomsten getting the start and pitching the first three innings before Clatt took over and finished the game. They combined to allow five hits and five walks while striking out five.