(Atlantic) Solid pitching and timely hitting led Atlantic past Estherville-Lincoln Central in a non-Conference softball game at Atlantic on Friday.
Eight-grader Zoey Kirchhoff picked up the win for the Trojans, allowing one run on six hits, struck out 11, and walked two. Riley Yager took the loss allowing three runs on five hits, 10-strikeouts, and two walks.
“Zoey pitched a fantastic game, and I think she got stronger as the game moved along,” said Atlantic Head Coach Terry Hinzmann. “We played good defense behind her against a good hitting and ranked team. We wanted to know where we were at against some of the top competition in the state, and I thought we proved we could compete.”
The Trojans scored one run in the second and two runs in the fifth. Estherville-Lincoln Central plated its’ only run in the sixth inning.
Bruckner pushed her squad to a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the bottom of the second inning. Maddie Huddleson walked, stole second, and raced home on Bruckner’s base hit. Kirchhoff, Huddleson, and Bruckner stroked base hits in the two-run fifth to give the home team a 3-0 advantage.
“Bruckner’s hit in the second inning came with two strikes,” said Hinzmann. “We preach to the players about being tough at the plate, and Bruckner stood tough and put the ball in play twice in this game.”
Bruckner led the Trojans with two singles, Maddie Huddleson and Zoey Kirchhoff added to the cause with singles, and the three accounted for the home team’s three runs.
J.C. Andersen, Tatum Dunlavy, Haylee Stokes, Dee Acosta, Katelyn Tendal, and Cara Shiltz accounted for the six hits for Estherville-Lincoln Central.
