Busy week for local softball teams
Valmeyer’s Cierra Goldschmidt pitches during last Wednesday’s win over Gibault. (Alan Dooley photo)
The Columbia High School softball squad posted three more impressive wins over the weekend to remain perfect at 14-0 on the season.
The Eagles edged O’Fallon in eight innings, then powered their way past Springfield Sacred Heart Griffin on Saturday.
Columbia led 7-4 over O’Fallon before the Panthers plated two runs in the sixth and another in the seventh to send the game into extra innings. The Eagles scored three runs in the eighth inning to win 10-7.
In their second game of the day, the Eagles won 21-11 over Sacred Heart Griffin. Hitting home runs for Columbia were Kylie Cleveland, Reese Schaefer, Lexi Touchette, Keeler van Breusegen and Calli Wibbenmeyer.
On Friday, Wibbenmeyer and Aryn Henke homered and Pena and van Breusegen collected three hits each in an 18-1 win at Granite City.
Columbia won 6-4 at home over Breese Central on Thursday. Kaelyn Rheinecker struck out 12 in the complete game win, and van Breusegen led the way offensively by going 2-for-4.
Cleveland went 3-for-3 with her first career home run and Henke went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in last Tuesday’s 13-3 rout of Salem. Touchette added two hits and three RBIs for the Eagles.
Henke leads a dangerous Columbia lineup with a .514 average and a .600 on base percentage with eight stolen bases and 19 RBIs.
Following closely behind Henke for the team hitting lead is van Breusegen at .500 with 19 RBIs and 21 runs.
Touchette is hitting .469 with three home runs and 21 RBIs. Pena is hitting .442 with four homers and 18 RBIs.
Rheinecker is 7-0 in the pitching circle with a 1.86 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 53 inning.
Columbia hosts Red Bud on Wednesday and Park Hill Central on Thursday.
The Valmeyer softball team reached the .500 mark following wins last week over Gibault and Dupo plus another victory Monday over Lebanon.
On Monday, Guin Kohnz went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs. Lilly Schlemmer struck out nine with just five hits allowed in a complete game pitching effort.
On Thursday, both Cierra Goldschmidt and Kendra Goldschmidt, Schlemmer and Jaynie Vanatta collected two hits apiece in an 11-9 win at Dupo.
Last Wednesday, the Pirates won 10-0 over the Hawks. Cierra Goldschmidt went 2-for-2 with three RBIs and picked up the pitching victory. Kendra Goldschmidt went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Schlemmer went 3-for-3 for the Pirates.
Valmeyer dropped a 9-2 contest to Steeleville last Tuesday. Chelsea Hooker, Kendra Goldschmidt and Cierra Goldschmidt collected two hits each for the Pirates, who played at New Athens on Tuesday, play at Lebanon Thursday and host Red Bud this coming Tuesday.
Hooker, a junior catcher, leads the team in hitting at .607 with nine doubles and 12 runs.
“Her defense has been a key to the Pirates’ success,” Valmeyer head coach Gayle McCarthy said.
Schlemmer is hitting .500 with 16 RBIs. Cierra Goldschmidt is hitting .484 with 11 runs.
“Cierra is one of two starting pitchers and has been doing great work,” McCarthy said.
Vanatta, a senior leadoff hitter, is hitting .432 with 13 runs and five stolen bases.
“Her defense in centerfield has been amazing,” McCarthy added.
McCarthy said freshmen Tinleigh Jakimauskas, Brianna Miller and Stephanie Meister have seen a lot of playing time already and have contributed greatly on both defense and offense.
Tough luck Bulldogs
Waterloo (3-8) dropped a 3-1 contest to Red Bud on Friday. The Bulldogs were held to just three hits in the contest.
On Thursday, the Bulldogs won 12-0 at Gibault. Lindsay Merritt went 2-for-3 with a home run and Taylor Downen went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for the Bulldogs.
Last Tuesday, Waterloo was held to just two hits in a 7-0 defeat to Highland.
Waterloo hosted Triad on Tuesday and will play at Jerseyville on Wednesday before hosting Chester on Friday and Civic Memorial on Monday.
The Waterloo offense is led by Taylor Kaufmann (.412, four home runs, eight RBIs) and Taylor Downen (.410, seven RBIs).
Merritt is hitting .313 and has a 3.80 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 46 innings pitched.
“We have lost two games by the score of 2-1 and we have lost two extra-inning games,” Waterloo head coach Matt Mason said. “We are just a couple big hits and a couple good defensive plays away from boasting a better record. We are looking to improve our hitting, putting the ball in play, and our defense as the conference season has started.”
Gibault (1-5) lost 14-0 to Marquette last Tuesday. Lexi Chambers and Lexi Poepper collected two hits each against Red Bud.
The Hawks were held to four hits in last Wednesday’s 10-0 loss at Valmeyer and three hits in Thursday’s 12-0 loss to Waterloo.
Poepper leads the Hawks in hitting at .455 with five RBIs.
Dupo (3-10) lost 7-2 to Lebanon last Tuesday. Kenzie Kloess led the way with two hits for the Tigers.
Kloess went 4-for-4 with five RBIs for the Tigers in Thursday’s loss to Valmeyer.
On Monday, the Tigers were held to three hits in an 8-0 loss to Marquette. Two of those hits were by Kassidee Keys.
