Pitch Perfect: Strong mound work helps Wildcats end perfect regular season

From the very first game of the 2022 softball season, Blair-Taylor coach Greg Bratina knew that his pitchers would allow his team to be one of the area’s best.

And though no coach loves to make predictions before any games are played, he likely had high hopes for his team’s regular season. One Dairyland Conference championship and 23 wins later, Bratina and the Wildcats have to be excited for the postseason.

Blair-Taylor secured an undefeated finish last week, comfortably beating Augusta on Monday before tacking on 15 runs in a win over Thorp on Thursday.

The top-seeded Wildcats were scheduled to open the regional playoffs at home against No. 9 North Crawford on Tuesday and would play the winner of No. 5 Kickapoo and No. 4 Independence/Gilmanton on Thursday with a win on Tuesday.

B-T 11 Augusta 0

The Wildcats allowed a single hit and piled up 12 of their own in their regular season Dairyland Conference finale last Monday.

Four runs in the second and five more in the third were the difference on offense. Lindsay Steien drove in a handful of runs and joined teammates Chloe and Callie Wagner as well as Madalynn Frederixon with two hits each.

Steien pitched all five innings for the Wildcats, throwing 14 strikeouts and one walk.

B-T 15 Thorp 6

It was a good day to be a Wagner on Thursday.

Chloe and Callie Wagner each supplied three hits and both hit home runs while combining for nine RBIs to lead Blair-Taylor past Thorp.

A seven-run third inning for Blair-Taylor broke a 1-1 deadlock. The visitors threw on seven more runs over the final two innings to decide the game after Thorp got back within two to make it 8-6 in the fifth inning.

The Wildcats also got another big day out of Steien, who batted 4-for-5. Steien and Lexi Lofgren each had a double.

Pitchers Abby Thompson and Steien combined to allow eight hits and two earned runs for Blair-Taylor while throwing seven strikeouts and five walks.