B-T finishes DC play undefeated before dropping two

After finishing Dairyland Conference play with an unblemished mark, the Blair-Taylor softball team dropped two games to a couple of strong nonconference opponents.

The Wildcats had little trouble against Augusta, raking out 17 hits in a 12-1 win. With a bye in the first round of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament, B-T added a couple nonconference games to the schedule. The first was a 4-1 loss to a Prescott team that is a second seed in its Division Three tournament bracket last Wednesday. On Thursday, B-T fell 4-0 to St. Charles, Minn., which is undefeated on the season.

The end result is a 21-3 record before (1) B-T began tournament play with a game against (9) Loyal/Greenwood on Tuesday. The winner of that game will play the winner of the game between (5) Luther and (4) Cashton for the regional title on Thursday. 

The first sectional game will be played this coming Tuesday, should B-T advance, they would host the game as the highest seed. The second-highest seed is DC runner-up Melrose-Mindoro. The sectional final game will be next Thursday at B-T High School. 

Auburndale (13-4) is the highest seed in the opposite bracket with Stratford, a team B-T narrowly defeated earlier this season as the second seed. Stratford and Auburndale split their regular season matchups. 

B-T 12 Augusta 1

The Wildcats had 17 hits as they scored at least one run in six of the seven innings.

Lindsay Steien had a big day at the plate for the Wildcats, going five-for-five with five RBIs and four runs scored. She led off with a single and scored on a hit by Lydia Frederixon as B-T scored two in the first. Steien, Abby Thompson and Lexi Lofgren hit consecutive RBI singles in the second to put B-T ahead 5-0.

Steien hit an RBI single in the fourth and scored herself on a groundout before Augusta got its only run in the bottom half of the inning.

Kierstyn Kindschy hit an RBI single in the fifth then scored on a hit by Steien, making the score 9-1. Lofgren led off the sixth with a double and scored on a single by Madalynn Frederixon. 

B-T went ahead by double digits on a two-run home run by Steien in the top of the seventh.

Sydney Fremstad had four hits and scored three runs for the Wildcats while Thompson, Lofgren and Lydia Frederixon all had two hits. 

Thompson was the winning pitcher, tossing the first four innings with seven strikeouts and two hits allowed. Steien finished the game, striking out five with two hits and one walk allowed. 

Prescott 4 B-T 1

The Wildcats were unable to answer a four-run second by Cardinals.

B-T scored one run in the first despite some bad luck as a sacrifice bunt attempt by Thompson was caught by the Prescott catcher, who threw to first for a double play. Lexi Lofgren singled with two outs, stole second and scored on a hit by Callie Wagner.

But that’s the only run B-T would score.

After Steien got two outs in the top of the second, she gave up three straight singles, that scored two runs. After an error, another single brought home two more runs to put Prescott ahead 4-1.

The Wildcats weren’t able to execute in the second as Madalynn Frederixon led off with a single, but was caught stealing. Kindschy then singled, but a strike out and a groundout ended the inning.

B-T didn’t threaten again until the seventh when Madalynn Frederixon and Kindschy hit consecutive two-out singles, but the game ended with a strikeout.

The Wildcats had seven hits in the game as Madalynn Frederixon and Kindschy both had two. 

Steien took the loss, allowing six hits and striking out three without a walk in four innings. Thompson finished the game, striking out two and allowing two hits in three innings. 

St. Charles 4 B-T 0

After St. Charles took the lead, the Wildcats never really threatened.

B-T had a runner on in the first inning and two on in the second, but couldn’t push a run across. 

St. Charles took advantage of a walk and then an error on a stolen base attempt to score in the bottom of the second. After the next six B-T batters were retired, St. Charles opened the fourth with three straight hits, plating two runs to put the team ahead 3-0. 

The undefeated Minnesota team added another run in the sixth. 

The Wildcats had just three hits in the game and managed only one walk against St. Charles’ Brenna Koeppel. 

Thompson took the loss, pitching four innings with five strikeouts while allowing three hits and one walk — just the ninth walk issued by the senior this season. Steien finished the game, striking out two with two hits and no walks allowed.