Indee softball team drops three in Dairyland play

The Independence/Gilmanton softball team had one close game, but otherwise struggled, losing three games in Dairyland Conference play last week.

The Indees fell behind the conference’s second-place team, Melrose-Mindoro, early last week before losing 11-1 on Monday. That was followed by a 3-1 loss to Cochrane-Fountain City on Tuesday and a 12-0 defeat to Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran on Thursday. 

I/G (4-12) closed out the regular season with a games against Whitehall and Eleva-Strum on Monday and Tuesday of this week. They’ll open Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association play with a game at Pepin/Alma this coming Tuesday. The Indees are the sixth seed and the Eagles are the third, the winner will play the winner of the game between (7) Alma Center Lincoln and (2) Columbus Catholic in the regional final next Thursday. 

Mel-Min 11 I/G 1

The Mustangs took a big lead early and the Indees weren’t able to catch up.

Mel-Min took advantage of three walks and two errors to score three runs without a hit in the bottom of the first inning.

Makiyah Scow singled for I/G with two outs in the top of the second and stole home for I/G’s only run. But it wasn’t nearly enough as the Mustangs kept scoring.

Two hits plated one run for Mel-Min in the bottom of the second before another scored on a sacrifice fly. Two hits and two walks in the third helped put Mel-Min ahead 8-1 before three scored on an error in the fifth. 

Leah Sylla took the loss for I/G, allowing six hits and seven walks while striking out one. The I/G defense committed six errors in the game, leading to six unearned runs. 

Five different Indees had one hit. 

C-FC 3 I/G 1

The Pirates broke the tie with two runs in the fourth inning.

After C-FC scored in the bottom of the first, I/G tied the game in the second when Leah Sylla singled home Makiyah Scow.

I/G had one out in the fourth before a passed ball allowed the go-ahead run to score and move another runner to third. A groundout brought home another run, putting C-FC ahead 3-1.

The Indees managed just one baserunner the rest of the game.

Two of I/G’s four hits came in the second. Sylla led the team at the plate, going two-for-three with an RBI. She took the loss in the circle, striking out two with one walk and seven hits allowed. 

ECI 12 I/G 0

The Lancers took an early lead then broke the game open with five runs in the fifth.

ECI scored one run on one hit in the first then three on one hit, two walks and an error in the second. Two home runs helped them plate five runs in the fifth before they added three more in the seventh.

The Indees struggled offensively and defensively. Maggie Woychick led the team with two hits as they managed four total. They struck out 10 times while earning two walks. 

Sylla took the loss, striking out seven while walking four and allowing six hits. Only three of ECI’s runs were earned as the Indees committed eight errors in the game.