B-T softball team survives close call to advance to sectional

A run of five straight sectional appearances for the Blair-Taylor softball team was in serious jeopardy last Thursday, but the Wildcats came through in the clutch to make it six in a row.

B-T had no trouble in its playoff opener, beating Loyal/Greenwood 15-0 in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division Four regional semifinal last week Tuesday. They seemed to be in control with a 3-0 lead in the regional final game against Onalaska Luther on Thursday, but the Knights scored three late to tie the game. It came down to B-T’s final at-bat when Callie Wagner hit into an error, allowing the winning run to score.

B-T (23-3) hosted Osseo-Fairchild (13-8) in the first sectional game on Tuesday of this week. The seventh-seeded Thunder came into the game rolling, beating second-seeded Melrose-Mindoro, 18-10 and sixth-seeded Cochrane-Fountain City, 7-2, last week. 

The winner of that game will play the winner of the game between Auburndale (15-4) and Stratford (16-9) at B-T on Thursday. The Wildcats defeated Stratford earlier this season.

B-T 15 L/G 0

The Wildcats scored 15 runs in just two innings, while holding L/G without a hit.

Two straight errors put two on for Callie Wagner who doubled Abby Thompson and Lexi Lofgren home. Lydia Frederixon tripled before the team got RBI singles by Kierstyn Kindschy and Thompson. Wagner came up again with two outs and drove in another run that put B-T ahead 9-0.

Frederixon led off the second with another triple and scored on a single by Kindschy. Anna White added an RBI single before Thompson tripled in two runs, making the score 14-0 before scoring herself on a groundout.

B-T had 10 hits in two innings as Thompson, Wagner, Frederixon and Kindschy all had two. Thompson and Kindschy both had four RBIs, Wagner had three. 

Lindsay Steien pitched all three innings, striking out six without allowing a hit or a walk. The only baserunner allowed was a hit batter.

B-T 4 Luther 3

With one out and runners on second and third, Wagner delivered for the Wildcats. 

The B-T first baseman hit the first pitch she saw to her Luther counterpart, who was unable to make a clean play and throw home as Abby Thompson scored to give the Wildcats the win.

It seemed as if B-T took control with two runs in the fifth inning. The Wildcats took the lead in the third when White and Steien hit consecutive triples. While Wagner missed a chance to extend the lead there, flying out with runners on second and third with two outs, she came through in the fifth and again in the seventh.

Steien singled with one out in the fifth and scored on a passed ball. Wagner then singled Thompson home, putting B-T ahead 3-0.

Up to that point, the Knights had just two hits in the game. But they came through big in the top of the sixth. After an error to start the inning, Luther came through with a single and a triple to bring home two runs. A single tied the game before Thompson got a strikeout and pop up to end the threat.

B-T went down in order in the bottom of the sixth and Steien popped up to begin the seventh. Thompson followed with a single and Lofgren doubled, putting runners on second and third for Wagner, who came through for B-T. 

Thompson pitched the first six innings, striking out 11, before Steien came on in the seventh and struck out one. Neither allowed a walk in the game.

Steien led B-T at the plate with two hits, while Wagner had one hit and two RBIs.