B-T softball team splits last two

The Blair-Taylor softball team earned a split as it prepared for tournament play.

The Wildcats took down one of the top teams in the Dairyland Conference last week Monday, scoring in the bottom of the ninth to top Melrose-Mindoro. On Thursday, they got off to a strong start, but couldn’t keep going in a 6-4 loss to Thorp.

After a bye in the first round of Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament play, the third-seeded Wildcats hosted sixth-seeded Bangor on Tuesday of this week. The winner of that game will play the winner of the game between (10) Onalaska Luther and (2) Cashton for the regional championship. 

The first sectional game will be played next Tuesday with the sectional final slated for Thursday. 

B-T 8 Mel-Min 7

The Wildcats scored in the bottom of the ninth to upset the top team in the DC-Large Division.

Mel-Min took a big lead early before B-T surged back, scoring two runs on an error in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings. 

Walks issued to Samantha Aguilar and Landonn Daffinson put B-T in business in the bottom of the ninth. The runners moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt before Anna White reached on fielder’s choice to load the bases. After swinging and missing on a 3-1 pitch, Andi Beck watched as the next offering missed the strike zone, bringing Aguilar home for the winning run.

B-T got on the board when Maddie Frederixon scored on an Andrea Waldera sacrifice fly to make the score 2-1 in the bottom of the third. The Mustangs got that run back in the fourth then put up three in the fifth to take a 6-1 advantage. 

Frederixon scored on an error in the fifth before B-T made the game interesting with three in the sixth. The first run came home when Addison Lejcher scored on a passed ball. Two more runs scored on errors, bringing B-T within one run at 6-5. 

The Mustangs scored one in the top of the seventh, but B-T answered in the bottom half of the inning. Madilyn Stargardt tripled to begin the inning then Frankie Zentgraf walked. Both scored on a throwing error when Zentgraf stole second. 

B-T had a chance to end the game in regulation as Aguilar singled and Daffinson reached on an error, but the next three batters got out. 

Frederixon was the winning pitcher, striking out three without a walk in a complete game. B-T had seven hits with seven different players getting one. 

Thorp 6 B-T 4

The Wildcats scored four in the first, but were quiet after that.

B-T began the game with three straight hits as Frederixon singled and scored on a double by White. White scored when Smetana hit into a fielder’s choice then Ryleigh Seitz doubled, making the score 4-0. 

The Cardinals got right back in the game with a three-run single in the bottom of the second. They tied the game on a passed ball in the fifth and took the lead on a sacrifice fly. Another run scored in the sixth.

Frederixon, Beck and Zengraf all had two hits as B-T finished with 10 as a team. Frederixon held Thorp to six hits, while striking out six and walking five.