Wildcats win two in DC play, lose two in tournament

The Blair-Taylor softball team won two games against Dairyland Conference foes, but lost two in a tournament on Saturday.

The Wildcats began the week with a 12-2 win over Cochrane-Fountain City last Tuesday, then beat Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran, 7-1, on Thursday. On Saturday, however, B-T managed just two hits combined, losing to Stanley-Boyd, 5-0, and tournament host Almond-Bancroft, 7-1. 

B-T began the final week of the regular season with a 15-6 record. That was before the team had a nonconference game in Arcadia on Monday and hosted Eleva-Strum on Tuesday. The last scheduled regular season game is Thursday at home against Augusta. 

B-T 12 C-FC 2

After the Pirates scored two runs in the top of the first, the Wildcats controlled the rest of the game.

B-T responded with four runs in the bottom of the first as Kayli Benedict and Alyssa Tubbs hit RBI singles and Addison Lejcher doubled in another run. 

Andrea Aleckson brought two runs home with a triple in the third. Aleckson tripled in another run in the fourth, just after Benedict hit an RBI double. Tubbs and Lejcher both hit RBI doubles later in the fourth, putting B-T ahead 11-2.

The Wildcats ended the game by the mercy rule when a run scored on an error in the bottom of the fifth. 

Benedict, Aleckson, Tubbs, and Lejcher all had two hits for B-T. Lejcher, Tubbs, and Aleckson batted in three runs and Benedict drove in two. 

Aleckson struck out five batters in the winning effort, holding C-FC to three hits and two walks. 

B-T 7 ECIL 1

B-T’s offense got going with three runs in the third before the team took control with three more in the fourth.

The first run scored on a sacrifice fly by Andi Beck, then Aleckson added a two-run single. Beck drove in a run with a single in the fourth as another run scored on a groundout and one on an error.

Aleckson smacked a solo home run to lead off the fifth, putting B-T ahead 7-0.

The Lancers didn’t score until there were two outs in the seventh. 

Aleckson had three hits and three RBIs for B-T while Beck and Alyssa Tubbs both had two hits. 

Aleckson was also the winning pitcher, striking out seven without a walk, while holding the Lancers to three hits. 

A-B Tournament

Runs were hard to come by for the Wildcats as they only managed one in two losses on Saturday.

B-T only had one hit in a 5-0 loss to Stanley-Boyd to open the tournament. The Orioles scored four runs in the first inning and added another in the seventh. Aleckson got B-T’s only hit and struck out 13 batters in the circle. She allowed six hits and two walks.

The Wildcats also had just one hit in their 7-1 loss to A-B. The Eagles scored two runs in the second and third innings before Benedict led off the fourth with a single for B-T and eventually scored on a sacrifice bunt.

The Eagles got that run back in the bottom of the fourth and added two in the sixth.

Aleckson again took the loss as she and Benedict split the pitching duties, both tossing three innings. They combined to allow 11 hits and two walks while striking out two batters.