(Atlantic) The Atlantic softball team remains undefeated in the Hawkeye Ten Conference standings with a 10-5 victory over a scrappy Clarinda team on Tuesday night. The win pushes the Trojans to 17-0 in league play.
Atlantic scored 10 runs on 12 hits and committed one error. Clarinda scored five runs on nine hits and committed one error.
Peyton McLaren picked up the win in the circle, allowing two runs on six hits, two strikeouts, and no walks in four innings of work. Brynn Lamp picked up the save in three innings of work.
The Trojans jumped out to a 5-0 lead through three innings. Peyton McLaren drilled a two-RBI double in the bottom of the first inning, and Zoey Kirchhoff followed up with an RBI single to put the Trojans on top 3-0. Atlantic went down in order in the second, and rebounded in the third inning, scoring two runs on three hits. London Kirchhoff smacked a double, Zoey Kirchhoff followed with a two-out RBI double, and Kinsley Johnson punched Zoey Kirchhoff home with a single.
Clarinda began to chip away at the lead with one run in the top of the fourth inning. Riley Maher, Annika Price, and Janessa Woolsey hit three consecutive one-out singles. Woolsey got the RBI for the Cardinals, trailing 5-1 heading into the Atlantic side of the fourth. The Trojans answered with one run. Lila Wiederstein blasted a leadoff single, stole second, and third and scored on Jillian Saathoff’s base hit to extend its lead to 6-1.
The Cardinals made it interesting at the top of the fifth with four runs on two hits, and closed the gap to 6-5. Woolsey drilled a two-RBI single to lead the rally.
Zoey Kirchhoff, who had a banner night at the plate, added an important insurance run in the bottom of the fifth with a towering home run over the left field fence, giving the Trojans a two-run cushion.
The Cardinals would come up empty in the final two innings while the Trojans distanced themselves with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Saathoff, Brynn Lamp, and Zoey Kirchhoff each ripped singles. Wiederstein, who drew a walk to start the inning, scored on London Kirchhoff’s ground ball, Saathoff posted her second hit of the night and scored on Brynn Lamp’s RBI single, and Zoey Kirchhoff drove in the third run of the frame with a hard hit single.
Clarinda attempted another rally with two hits in the top of the seventh; however, Lamp forced back-to-back ground balls to seal the 10-5 victory.
Zoey Kirchhoff had herself a night for the Trojans. The senior went four-for-four at the plate with two singles, a double, a homerun, and four RBI. Jillian Saathoff and Kinsley Johnson stroked two hits each. Peyton McLaren blasted a two-RBI double, London Kirchhoff hit a double, Claire Schroder and Brynn Lamp each contributed singles.
Janessa Woolsey led the Cardinals at the plate with two singles and three RBI. Riley Maher smacked a double and a single. Annika Price hit two singles, and Mya Harris, Maddie Cole, and Makennzie Kane each hit singles.
The Tojans wrap up the Hawkeye Ten Conference season this week with a game at home against Shenandoah on Wednesday, and travel to Red Oak for a doubleheader on Thursday. Atlantic starts its non-conference series on Friday at home against Dowling-Catholic. We will have the broadcast on 95.7 F.M., and video-streamed on WesternIowaToday TV.
