The Fastpitch Chronicle

Poynette's junior pitcher Mattie Bredeson hooked up with Marshall junior Taylor Pache in a pitcher's duel that saw both pitchers do well enough to win. Bredeson and the Pumas nipped Marshall 3-2.

Bredeson tossed a three-hitter with two walks and a seven strikeouts while Pache allowed just four hits, walked just one and fanned six. The Pumas had the game's big inning when in the second senior Brooke Dredske led off the inning with a line drive double to right center. When Ashley Hellenbrand hit a hard shot at Caitlyn Brewer at short the ball took a wild hop and both runners were safe with Dredske advancing to third. Hellenbrand swiped second to put runners at two and three. Pache retired Allison Tomlinson via a called third strike but Paige Doherty then hit a ball to second that scored Dredske for the game's first run. Bredeson then launched a ball deep into the gap in rightcenter that sent Hellenbrand home and when Bredeson sprinted into third the throw from the relay at second got past Bailey DeForest at third allowing Bredeson to score the third run. 

In the bottom of the third Marshall's Megan Murphy bunted and was safe at first on errant throw by Poynette third sacker Ashley Hellenbrand. Cather Samira Irvin then single up the middle to put runners on the corners and Murphy swiped second base uncontested. With runners on one and two and two the Cardinals Liv Henning bunted but was thrown out on the sacrifice moving the runners along one base. With two outs Bailey DeForest lined a hot grounder at first sacker Brooke Dredske who had the ball get through the five hole scoring Murphy. Irvin tried to score but Dredske had gotten the ball back from second sacker Maegan Brookins and got the ball to the plate to retire Irvin trying to score from second. That ended the inning. 

"It's about making routine plays and not rushing to get outs," said longtime Poynette Head Coach Bob Tomlinson. "We're young at third but there is still a lot of experience there so we just need to do a better job of coaching them up."

Neither team could muster much of a threat thereafter until the bottom of the seventh when Bredeson walked the leadoff batter of the inning, Brewer after losing an 0-2 count to her. Brooke Gumz then sacrificed Brewer to second with the out taking place at first. "That was a case of taking our time and just getting an out with a two-run lead. 

With one dead and a runner at second the Cardinals bunted again with the number nine batter Murphy. Her bunt was bobbled a bit by Hellenbrand who then again rushed at throw to first only to see it roll out into rightfield, scoring Brewer to make it 3-2. That brought the leadoff batter to the plate in the person of catcher Samira Irvin who had singled earlier off Bredeson up the middle. This time the Pumas crowded the center of the infield to take that away from Irvin. It worked as Irvin got a piece of a Bredeson slant that at first appeared to be falling in for a single. Alas however, second sacker Maegan Brookins, using her quick feet and blazing speed actually caught the ball in short leftcenter field, wheeled around and double off Murphy at first base to end the game.

Poynette is now 5-0 and 2-0 in Capitol Conference play. No players from either team had more than one hit. Dredske's double and Bredeson's triple were the game's only extra base hits. 

Marshall, after playing three games in Florida and Lakeside Lutheran yesterday is now 3-2 on the season.

Wisconsin Heights 9, Lakeside Lutheran 2
The Vanguards took charge of this game in the final three innings with two in the fifth, four in the sixth and two more in the seventh en route to the win in Lake Mills.

Taylor Kraemer got the complete game victory allowing nine hits, walking none and fanning six. The loser was Meghan Splinter who pitched 4 1/3 innings before giving way to Brett Burger. Splinter allowed three unearned runs and fanned two while issuing two free passes. Burger allowed six run but only one earned. Lakeside stumbled with seven errors in the game. 

Leading hitters for Wisconsin Heights were Jad Wood with a 2x2 day and Miranda Keith who went 2x4.

"Heights played a clean game with timely hitting and solid pitchin,"said Lakeside coach Matt Doering.  "We made way too many mistakes and didn't give ourselves a chance.  Meghan Splinter threw well enough to give us a chance, but we didn't help her out. The girls are going through some growing moments, we hope they learn some lessons from them that we can use as move through the season."