Mustang softball loses to No. 9 R-S

MONROE — After four solid innings, the rails fell off for PCM’s softball team. Class 3A No. 9 Roland-Story beat the Mustangs 12-1 in Heart of Iowa Conference action June 13.

After five innings, the Norsemen held only a four-run lead. The slim margin wouldn’t last long as the squad tacked on seven runs between the final two innings.

“I don’t know if we lost our focus or we just started making a few more errors,” PCM head coach Scott Bridges said.

“I’m seeing improvements and we’re doing better things, but we don’t do it for the whole game.”

Senior Kenzie Johnson started in the circle for the Mustangs, and the Norsemen scored one run off her in the first inning.

Senior Hailey Louw brought home sophomore Juliann Clark on a double that hit the left field fence.

The Mustangs would answer with their only run of the game in the bottom of the first. Junior Regan Freland started the inning off with a double and Johnson brought her home on an RBI single.

Roland-Story (13-2, 9-0) had the bases loaded in the top of the third, but only managed to bring one run in.

Eighth grader Ally Ringsby took home when PCM junior catcher Anna Shaver bobbled a high pitch.

In the fourth inning, the Norsemen added two more runs.

Senior Madison Friest hit an RBI double and eighth grader Macy Friest scored after an error at first base.

Junior Maya Hegwood was brought in as a replacement for Johnson in the fifth inning, but the bleeding didn’t stop.

The Norsemen scored eight runs between the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

Offensively, the Mustangs (2-7, 2-6) struck out 10 times at the plate. Senior Sydney Mathis started the game on the mound for the Norsemen and was replaced by senior Riley Holmgren. Bridges gave credit to Roland-Story’s pitching staff.

“They’ve got good pitchers,” Bridges said. “The second girl that came in has a really nice rise ball and that was kind of getting us.”

Although this game was a blowout for his team, Bridges remained optimistic for the coming weeks.

“We played with a ranked team for over half of the game,” Bridges said. “Now we’ve got to play a whole game just like that. I’m looking a the schedule and we’ve got five or six games here. I think we can get on a roll.”