The JWP softball team is looking the best in years. They have already matched the same amount of wins they achieved last season with seven so far. That’s thanks to three straight victories against Blue Earth, Medford, and Nicollet this past week.
Bulldogs 10, Buccaneers 3
There was no question at all this season that the girls would do well on offense. But against Blue Earth Area on Tuesday, April 23, they proved that they can step up on defense, too.
8th-grade pitcher Ryleigh Donner has looked great so far this season, and this game was no different. She started the first inning with two strikeouts, followed by an out by Autumn Thissen. The team took advantage of Blue Earth’s slight hesitation on defense, with sophomore Victoria Blomstrom hitting a single, stealing to second base, and getting home off of junior Brielle Dessner’s triple. Senior Lexie Dahlberg’s double got Dessner home for the second run of the game.
At the top of the second inning, the Bucs broke through the defense despite two consecutive strikeouts by Donner. One of their hitters had a great hit to left field for a double and an RBI. The Bulldogs were shut down at the bottom of the second.
The Bucs struck again with two hits at the top of the third, which allowed them to tie the game. However, the Bulldogs found their luck at-bat with singles by Dahlberg and Thissen, with Thissen earning an RBI. Sophomore Kayle Langford walked while freshman Hudson Miller’s double got Thissen home. Lily Quast (who was a courtesy for Miller) got home, while Lilly Ewert recorded a single.
By the end of the third inning, the girls took a 5-2 lead. The Bulldogs prevented BEA from scoring in the fourth, while freshman Ray Blasing hit a double, Dessner walked, and Thissen earned 2 RBIs off her double to extend the Bulldogs’ lead to 7-2.
BEA earned its third and final run at the top of the fifth with a one-run home run. That didn’t hinder JWP’s spirits, though. After Brielle James hit a solid triple, she got home off a pitcher’s misfire that the Bucs catcher couldn’t quite hold onto.
The Bucs threatened to score again at the top of the sixth, but following a Dessner catch for an out, Ewert threw to home, making a BEA runner think twice about trying to beat Miller to the plate. At the bottom of the sixth, Dahlberg earned a single, Thissen got home off another double, and Langford got Thissen home with her single.
Dahlberg’s catch at centerfield, a throw to first base for an out, and Donner’s strikeout ended the game 10-3.
Bulldogs 15, Bulldogs 4
The Bulldogs then traveled to Medford on Thursday, April 25. It was only JWP’s fourth true away game (the season opener at St. Clair was moved to JWP). And despite the windy day, the girls had no problem battling the gusts. In fact, it may have helped them.
It only took five innings for the girls to defeat their conference rivals, as they dominated in a 15-4 victory. The primary highlight of the game was junior Brielle Dessner’s second home run of the season, which helped the girls end things early.
Bulldogs 6, Raiders 4
JWP’s game against Nicollet on Friday was originally going to be at Nicollet’s softball field. However, rain throughout the day caused a venue change. It was the second time this season that a road game for the Bulldogs turned into a home stand.
The game was moved to an earlier time, at 4:15 p.m. However, Mother Nature insisted they start closer to 4:30 p.m., as some quick-moving thundershowers caused a ten-minute lightning delay. When the pitchers were able to start slinging the balls and the bats were at work, the two teams put on a stellar performance. Nicollet’s Raiders kept it close, but JWP pulled off the 6-4 win of the season.
The JWP softball team is currently on a four-game winning streak with three wins this past week. They are currently 7-4 overall (3-2 in conference). Weather pending, they hosted NRHEG on Monday, April 29, and Martin Luther-GHEC-Truman on the following Tuesday. They will travel to Randolph on Thursday, May 2. Randolph, ranked third in Class AA (and at one point in the number one spot), will be a true test of how the Bulldogs can play against top teams in the area.
