After win over Durand, Indees struggle in DC play

After beginning the week with a nonconference win over Durand, the Independence/Gilmanton softball team struggled, losing three Dairyland Conference games by 10 or more runs.

All three games came against teams expected to contend in the conference this year as the Indees fell to DC powerhouse Blair-Taylor, 15-0, on Tuesday (see story elsewhere in Sports) before losing to Cochrane-Fountain City, 16-2, on Thursday and Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran, 12-2, on Friday.

The lodes began this week with a record of 1-4 on the season and were slated to play at Pepin/Alma on Thursday with their next scheduled game at Alma Center Lincoln this coming Tuesday.

I/G 9 Durand 6

A four-run fifth inning put the Indees ahead for good.

I/G trailed, 5-4, entering the bottom of the fifth but took the lead when Arabelle Kniseley singled in two runs. Adison Pronchinske then singled in two more, putting the Indees ahead, 8-5.

Durand got one run back in the top of the sixth, but the Indees responded with one on a single by Makiyah Scow in the bottom half of the inning. I/G secured the win by blanking the Panthers in the seventh. 

I/G fell behind early as Durand scored three in the second inning and one in both the first and the third to take a 5-1 lead. The Indees scored three runs in the bottom of the third to put them in position to take the lead in the fifth.

Maggie Woychik led the Indees at the plate, going two-for-three as they had seven hits as a team. Kniseley, Scow, Woychik and Pronschinske all had two RBIs. 

Leah Sylla picked up the win, striking out eight while allowing six walks and five hits. Three of Durand’s runs were unearned. 

C-FC 16 I/G 2

The Indees fell behind early before the Pirates broke the game open in the second and third innings.

C-FC scored two runs in the first inning before putting up consecutive six-run frames. They went ahead 16-0 with two more runs in the top of the fourth.

I/G got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Rhianna Theisen scored on a groundout and Kniseley singled in a run. But that’s all the Indees would manage in the game.

Kniseley had two of I/G’s five hits in the game.

Sylla took the loss striking out four while allowing five walks and 13 hits. Nine of C-FCs runs were unearned as the Indees committed six errors in the game. 

ECI 12 I/G 2

The Indees scored two runs early and were in the game until the Lancers put up 10 runs in the sixth inning.

I/G took the lead in the top of the first when Emma Cowen hit an RBI double and later scored on a sacrifice fly hit by Rhianna Theisen. 

The Lancers responded with a run in the bottom of the second then tied the game in the fourth. 

The game was there for the taking until the bottom of the sixth when the Lancers raked eight hits to plate 10 runs and win the game by rule. 

Two of I/G’s three hits came in the first inning, nobody had more than one hit. 

Sylla took the loss, allowing 11 hits and five walks while striking out one.