Baxter softball starts 4-0 in conference play

DUNKERTON — The Baxter softball team won its fifth straight game and blasted Dunkerton on June 1, winning 10-0 in five innings.

The Bolts plated four runs early and coasted from there to remain undefeated in Iowa Star Conference play. Baxter added five runs in the third and one more in the fifth to win by the 10-run rule.

Junior Sydney Schmidt earned the win in the circle. She improved to 5-1 on the season after pitching another shutout with eight strikeouts.

Schmidt has thrown four shutouts in conference play, and the Bolts (5-1 overall, 4-0 in conference play) are outscoring Iowa Star Conference foes 42-0 through four games.

Sophomore Amber Weltha had three hits, two RBIs and one run scored, while freshman McKenzie Eslinger added a pair of hits, one walk and three runs scored.

Sophomore Holly Jessen, who came into the game batting .647 on the season, walked twice and scored twice.

Schmidt finished with one hit and two walks and her courtesy runner Brenna Thomson scored twice.

Freshman Maddie Pierce filled for senior Jordynn Wesselink at shortstop and finished with two hits one run, and sophomore Caitlyn Bruntz added one walk and one run scored.

Dunkerton fell to 0-5 overall and 0-5 in conference play.

Baxter played at Don Bosco on June 4, hosted Class 1A No. No. 2 Clarksville on June 5 and played Colo-NESCO at home on June 6.

The Bolts take on 1A No. 3 Collins-Maxwell at 7 p.m. on June 7 in Collins.

Baxter 10,

GMG 0, 6 innings

BAXTER — A six-run third inning propelled Baxter to another win in Iowa Star Conference play on May 30.

The Bolts claimed a 10-0, six-inning win over GMG.

Jessen stayed in the lead-off spot in the lineup and had another three hits. Jessen had two doubles, a triple, scored three runs and had one RBI in the victory.

The Bolts plated two runs in the first inning and then led 8-0 after three innings following a big third frame. They scored six runs in the inning, led by two-run singles from Kelly and Bruntz.

Schmidt got the win in the circle and finished with two hits, two walks, two runs and three RBIs at the plate.

She tossed all six innings, allowing no runs on two hits and struck out six with no walks. Both GMG hits came from Kelsey Vaverka.

Wesselink had two walks, two runs and two steals and Bruntz tallied one hit, two walks, a hit by pitch, two steals and two RBIs.

Weltha did not have a hit but she walked once, was hit by a pitch and tallied an RBI.

Baxter 12, CAL, 3 innings

LATIMER — Jessen’s first game as a lead-off hitter went as good as Baxter could have imagined.

Jessen finished 3-for-3 at the plate to lead the Bolts to a 12-0, three-inning road win over CAL on May 29 during Iowa Star Conference action.

Jessen hit a pair of three-run triples to drive in six runs on the night, and she also scored twice. The Bolts plated nine runs in the first and three in the second and finished the game in three innings.

Seven of the nine starters had at least one hit for Baxter.

Bruntz had one hit, one walk, one steal and she scored twice. Thomson also walked once and scored two runs.

Kelly finished with one hit, one walk, one run and one RBI, while Wesselink chipped in a triple, one run and one RBI.

Weltha collected a hit, an RBI and scored a run, Schmidt had one hit, scored one run and was hit by a pitch and Headlee tallied an RBI single, one run and two steals.

Eslinger did not have a hit but walked once, stole one base and scored a run.

Schmidt started in the circle but was removed after the Bolts went up 9-0 in the first inning. Schmidt did not allow a hit and struck out one. Freshman Kailee Conradi threw the final two innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out a pair.

Baxter 10, North Tama 0, 5 innings

TRAER — The first softball win in Bolts’ history came on 25 in a 10-0, five-inning road win over North Tama.

Weltha had two of the team’s seven hits and the sophomore also scored twice, had one RBI and one steal.

Bruntz finished with one hit, two runs, three steals and one RBI, and Wesselink chipped in a double, one run and one walk. Eslinger had one hit and scored two runs and sophomore Mikayla Hulbert added one hit, one run and one steal.

Schmidt earned her first win inside the circle, too. She threw all five innings, allowing no runs on four hits with eight strikeouts and one walk.

Baxter 17, Lynnville-Sully 13

SULLY — Lynnville-Sully’s softball team had 18 hits, scored 13 runs and blasted seven extra-base hits but Baxter came away with the win during a non-conference game here on May 31.

The Bolts used a grand slam from Wesselink to go up 5-1, and then Baxter plated six runs in the fourth and four in the sixth during a 17-13 win.

The Hawks led 1-0 after one inning, but Baxter tied the game in the second and then both teams plated four runs in the third.

Baxter grabbed an advantage with a 6-3 surplus in the fourth and then the Bolts led 15-10 following a four-run sixth.

The Bolts had 20 hits on the night. Senior Kaitlynn Kelly led the way with four hits, Jessen and Wesselink each had three hits and Schmidt, Weltha, Eslinger, Bruntz and sophomore Makayla Hulbert all had two hits.

Wesselink finished with five RBIs and four runs. Kelly, Eslinger, Bruntz and sophomore Kaitlyn Headlee all had two RBIs. Wesselink and Weltha each scored four runs, and Jessen, Kelly, Bruntz and Thomson all scored two runs.

The Bolts hit six doubles, two of which came from Jessen and Wesselink. One of Eslinger’s hits was a triple.

Schmidt claimed the win in the circle. She allowed nine earned runs on 17 hits. She walked one and struck out none.