(Atlantic) Atlantic broke a 3-3 tie with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and held on to defeat Denison-Schleswig, 5-3, in a Hawkeye Ten Conference softball game on Monday.
Riley Wood picked up the win in the circle. The junior finishes out the regular season with a 13-5 record. Wood threw seven complete innings, allowing three runs on five hits, six strikeouts, one walk, and one hit batter. The Trojans scored five runs on seven hits and committed two errors. The Monarchs scored three runs on five hits and no errors.
Norah Huebert led off the top of the second inning with a standup double, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Elli Heiden’s ground ball. The Trojans countered with a run in the bottom of the frame to tie the game at 1-1. Claire Schroder belted a two-out triple, and Wood drove her home to even the score.
Ashlyn Herrig laced a one-out single, stole second, and scored on an error in the top of the third to give Denison a 2-1 advantage. However, Atlantic fought back with two runs on two hits in their half of the inning for a 3-2 lead. Maddie Huddleson walked, Ava Rush reached base on a bunt single, and Zoey Kirchhoff hit an RBI single, scoring Huddleson. Rush crossed the plate on a ground ball.
The Monarchs responded with another run in the fifth. Ashlyn Herrig scored on a wild pitch to knot the game at 3-3. Again, the Trojans answered the bell. Zoey Kirchhoff drilled an RBI double, and Schroeder followed with an RBI single to give Atlantic a 5-3 cushion. Wood and the Trojans’ defense held the Monarchs scoreless for the final two innings for the 5-3 victory. Atlantic enters post-season play having won eight out of their last eleven games.
Kirchhoff led the Trojans at the plate with a double and a single. Ava Rush, Claire Pellett, Schroeder, Schroder, and Wood all had singles.
Ashlyn Herrig, Mayah Slater, and Norah Huebert each had two hits for the Monarchs.
Atlantic (21-16) hosts Red Oak in a Class 3A Regional game on Thursday. The Monarchs (16-17) travel to Carroll for Thursday’s Class 4A Region 2 game.
