Lady Jays Softball
Bluejays Fall to the Vipers
By Payton Cederburg
On September 12, the Bluejay softball team aimed their focus on the Northeast Nebraska (NEN) Vipers and lost 14-6.
“We got down early against NEN and didn't give up,” coach Grant King states. “Things just weren't going our way, but I was proud of the way our team battled at the plate.”
In the first inning, NEN put up five runs on the board and the score was 5-0.
In the second, the Bluejays put three of their own on the scoreboard. During the inning, Kaelyn Halsey stole home after a wild pitch to give the Jays one run, then Cailynn Gardner had a sacrifice bunt to bring in Savannah Beutler for the second run and Evelyn Skrdla brought in Peyton Brunckhorst with a double. NEN scored three runs of their own to extend their lead to 8-3.
Pierce was shut out in the third inning while the Vipers put up four more runs to make the score 12-3.
During the fourth, Pierce put one run to their score after Beutler stole home from a passed pitch. NEN also added one to their score making it 13-4.
In the fifth, Jessa Kraft sent one out of the park. The Vipers ended the inning with one run of their own making the final score 14-6.
“The bottom of our lineup hit really well at the game,” senior Alexis Sporleder recalls. “I hope that we come ready to play like we did against GACC (Guardian Angels Central Catholic).”
Sporleder and Beutler led the team in batting average with .500 each and Skrdla and Kraft followed with an average of .333.
Seven of the Bluejays had perfect fielding percentages.
Pierce’s next competition will be at home versus Boone Central and Wayne in a triangular starting at 4:30.
Bluejays Fall Short with Ranked Team
By Brody Q. Coulter
The Pierce Bluejay softball team had quite the battle with the Guardian Angels Central Catholic Bluejays on Tuesday, September 10, going head to head with the number two team in the state and falling just shy of a victory, 5-4.
“On Tuesday we played the best we have all year long,” Alexis Sporleder, a senior, says. “Our bats showed up and we made almost no fielding errors the whole game. I think the crowd really helped us play well, and I hope we continue to play like that in the future.”
Another member of the team, Jessa Kraft, a sophomore, says, “The whole team hit very well considering she was the number two pitcher in the league. I also believe this was our best game of the year; we just sadly fell short in the end.”
Pierce currently has a record of 4-10.
The next game will be Thursday, September 19, at home against the David City Aquinas Monarchs.
