By Murray Gleffe
Correspondent
ASHWAUBENON-Katelynn Cleveland pitched a complete game giving up seven hits and no earned runs as the Ashwaubenon Jaguars defeated the Green Bay Preble Hornets by a final of 3-0 in Game 1 of the softball double-header held at Pioneer Park (May 5).
The Hornets had entered the game at 8-0 in conference.
Alexa Blasczyk and Josie Hilbert each had two hits to lead the way.
The Jaguars got off to a fast start as Chloe Brabant and Blasczyk both connected on hits in the bottom of the first.
Cleveland walked and then the Jaguars got caught in a run-down at home plate that prevented the first score from going up.
No problem.
With two outs, and two on base, shortstop Kally Van Laanen stepped to the plate and corked a double to center.
It scored Cleveland and Blasczyk, gave Van Laanen two early RBI’s, and put the Jaguars up 2-0.
After Cleveland retired the Hornets side in the second, the Jaguars bats got hot once again.
Second basemen, Tatum Scheffel hit a line-drive shot to right field with two outs and Zion Estano followed with a triple to the center field fence scoring Scheffel to give the Jaguars a 3-0 lead after two innings played.
“Kally and Zion each had big hits in a crunch situation,” said Shannon VanLaanen, Jaguars Softball Coach. “Each of them squared up nicely to make it count.”
No team could muster much activity in the next two innings.
However, in the top of the fifth inning, the Hornets connected on a lead off single and then the Jaguars made a great defensive play.
With one out, and the Hornets threatening, the base running caught up with them.
The Jaguars tagged the runner en route to the second out, and Cleveland produced the last out of the inning with a patented strike out.
The Jaguars hitting went cold the latter part of the game, but they made up for it with their fielding and pitching versus the Hornets.
With the game still 3-0 in the top of the seventh, Cleveland came back out to the mound to try and preserve the victory for the team.
Things started well. One out, then a second out.
Then the Hornets showed why they are a FRCC contender.
Two singles later, a batter hit by a pitch, and the bases were loaded!
Could the Jaguars come out unscathed and pick up the key win over the first-place team?
Coach VanLaanen called a time out to try and regather his team’s thoughts for that third and final out.
The Jaguars came back out and Cleveland whipped a fast ball past the Hornet’s batter to give the Jaguars the victory.
“Katelynn was great all game,” added VanLaanen. “She continually got ahead of hitters, kept them off balance, and used her defense behind her. It was one of our more complete games all year against a quality opponent.”
The Jaguars did drop Game 2 by a final of 6-3.
The Jaguars improve their overall record to 11-3 and 6-2 in FRCC action.
They will travel to Bay Port to take on the Pirates Tuesday May 8.
Ashwaubenon 2,1,0,0,0,0,0 3
Green Bay Preble 0,0,0,0,0,0,0 0
