Softball teams heading toward postseason

Waterloo’s Lindsay Merritt ducks out of the way of a pitch during Monday’s game against Jerseyville. (Corey Saathoff photo)

With a relentless offensive attack and two starting pitchers that can bring the heat, Columbia is flying above all other area softball teams so far this season.

The Eagles won three more games over the weekend to take the Triad Tournament championship and improve to 25-0.

The Eagles defeated Dupo on Friday, 14-6, as Aryn Henke collected three hits and Chelsy Pena homered. 

Reagan Carner and Kassidee Keys both homered for the Tigers.

On Saturday, Columbia edged Highland, 1-0, then beat Chatham Glenwood, 10-4. 

Kaelyn Rheinecker pitched a complete game three-hitter over Highland; Henke, Pena, Mikaela Kossina and Lexi Touchette all homered against Chatham Glenwood.

Columbia won 12-0 at Salem last Tuesday. Whitney Edwards, Pena and Calli Wibbenmeyer all homered in the win. 

The Eagles played at Carlyle on Tuesday and will host Freeburg on Thursday.

The statistics are astonishing both offensively and in the pitching circle for the Eagles this Spring. 

Pena is hitting .500 with seven home runs, 36 runs and 36 RBIs to go along with a .567 on base percentage. She is followed by Keeler van Breusegen (.479, 36 runs), Henke (.479, 34 RBIs, 14 stolen bases),  Touchette (.463, five home runs, .532 on base percentage), Kylie Cleveland (.436) and  Wibbenmeyer (.417, seven home runs, 29 RBIs).

Rheinecker is 14-0 with a 1.68 ERA with 136 strikeouts in 95.7 innings pitched. Mikaela Kossina is 11-0 with a 3.66 ERA.

 In other softball action, Waterloo (8-14) posted a 9-5 victory over Jerseyville at home on Monday.

Taylor Kaufmann blasted a grand slam home run in the second inning and had five RBIs on the day. Taylor Wilson went 3-for-4 with a homer and triple and Lindsay Merritt struck out 10 in the pitching circle.

Waterloo dropped a 4-2 contest to Civic Memorial on Friday before splitting a Saturday doubleheader at Alton. 

Abbey Goff homered and Taylor Downen and Izzy Wahn collected two hits each against CM.

 Downen went 3-for-4 with a home run in the 12-4 loss to Alton. Wilson went 4-for-5 and Goff went 3-for-4 in the 11-6 win over Alton.

Last Tuesday, Waterloo won 3-2 at Waltonville, scoring a run in the seventh inning to break a tie. Goff went 2-for-3 with a triple and RBI.

Waterloo dropped a 3-0 contest to Triad last Wednesday. Merritt had two hits at the plate to go along with eight strikeouts and two earned runs allowed in the pitching circle.

Waterloo plays at Okawville on Wednesday and at Carterville on Saturday. 

Downen is hitting .442 to lead the ‘Dogs, followed by Merritt (.333), Wilson (.329), Kaufmann (.309) and Skyler Barker (.300).

Wahn is hitting .438 in limited varsity action.

Valmeyer (8-8) edged Dupo on Monday, 9-8.

The Tigers plated four runs in the seventh inning to take an 8-5 lead, only to see the Pirates score four runs in their last at-bat to win it. 

Cierra Goldschmidt and Lilly Schlemmer each went 2-for-4 to lead the Pirates. 

Valmeyer won 5-4 over Marissa in nine innings last Tuesday. Chelsea Hooker, Mia Gerli and Brianna Miller collected two hits each for the Pirates, who hosted New Athens on Tuesday and host Cahokia on Thursday.

Hooker leads Valmeyer in hitting at .511with 16 RBIs and 21 runs, followed by Schlemmer at .460 with 20 RBIs, Jaynie Vanatta at .452 with 18 runs and six stolen bases, and Goldschmidt at .438 with 16 runs. 

Goldschmidt is also 3-2 in six starts in the pitching circle.

Valmeyer will play in the Class 1A Okawville Regional, taking on Mulberry Grove on May 16. With a win, the Pirates would play for a regional title on May 19.

Dupo (4-20), which has dropped 10 straight, will begin Class 1A Marissa Regional play May 14 against Gibault.

Leading the way for the Tigers offensively are Kenzie Kloess (.409, 19 RBIs), Carner (.400, four home runs, 22 runs), Cameron Foster (.368, 19 runs) and Keys (.339, 15 RBIs).

Gibault (1-18) lost 4-1 and 4-3 to Althoff on Saturday. Lexi Poepper had three hits on the day to lead the Hawks. 

On Monday, the Hawks lost 13-4 to Metro East Lutheran on senior night. Sidney and Ashlyn Wightman and Meagan Bernal collected one hit apiece.

Gibault lost at Nashville last Tuesday, and lost 12-1 to Mater Dei last Wednesday. Melissa Bernal and Mira Todd had the team’s only two hits in the loss to Mater Dei.

Poepper leads Gibault in hitting at .308 with 10 runs scored. Ashlyn Wightman is hitting .278.

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Corey Saathoff

Corey is the editor of the Republic-Times. He has worked at the newspaper since 2004, and currently resides in Columbia. He is also the principal singer-songwriter and plays guitar in St. Louis area country-rock band The Trophy Mules.
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