Bearcats patience rolls by Warhawks

ALLISON – North Butler used its discipline at the plate to earn nine walks off of West Fork starter Rachael Hubka and reliever Delaney Christianson in a 12-2, five-inning Top of Iowa Conference victory over the Warhawks on Wednesday, July 1.

Surprisingly, the Warhawks out-hit the Bearcats, but errors and aggressive base running had the home team with the distinct advantage.

“Defensively, we weren’t sharp today,” West Fork co-coach Mary Schulz said. “We’re a better defensive team than that. Monday night, we were gobbling up everything. We just moved Maddie Hubka to shortstop and she and Haley (Grady) played great.

“Today, Maddie struggled a little bit – confidence is an issue – when they make a mistake they have to realize they have to come back and we’re not going to scream at them and it’s not the end of the world.”

Three runs right away off an error that scored on a passed ball, followed by a hit by pitch, and, after a fielder’s choice that left both runners safe, Maddy Shultz hit an infield single, Kristin Dralle, the lone senior on the team honored before the night’s game, walked to re-load the bags.

Anna Endelman’s sacrifice fly made it 3-0 before the inning ended when a base runner left early.

The Bearcats added four more runs in the third with the help of just two hits, the rest were three walks, errors and a pair of sacrifice fly balls.

“In my book, they only had two hits,” Schulz said. “It was real close (to that). I don’t think they had solid hits, wild pitches, walks, strike zone was tight. And they were more disciplined at the bat. We got up there and we were more aggressive at the plate. They were disciplined and waited and waited and oftentimes got a walk where I felt that we went after hits.”

West Fork’s lead-off hitter Maddie Hubka had three of her team’s five hits.

North Butler put an early end to the contest with four walks and a bases-clearing double by Kenzie Groen. The Bearcats improved to 6-3 overall, 5-2 in the TIC East and have won five in a row.

Both teams brought up younger players with North Butler using Endelman at third base and the Warhawks using Mallery Meier.

“Mallery Meier, hit for us today, she’s an eighth-grader,” Schulz said. “(Second baseman) Sydney (Nuehring) doesn’t hit for us a lot, trying a few different people in there, somebody different Monday, someone new today. Trying to get some of these younger girls some experience and we have some nice, young ball players at the younger levels, so we’re trying to build them up and get some confidence.”

North Butler 12, West Fork 2 (6)

W.Fork         001   01    -      2   5     6

N. Butler      304   25    -      124     1

Winning battery– Kiya Johnson and Kristin Dralle. Losing battery – Rachael Hubka, Delaney Christianson and Kylie Laudner. Two or more hits– WF (Maddie Hubka 3). 2B– NB (Kenzie Groen). SAC– NB (Dralle, Katelin Barth). SB– WF (M. Hubka, Kalli Trewin); NB (Brooke Trees, Groen, Maddy Shultz, Meg Thompson, Brynn Salge). HBP– NB (Groen). RBI– WF (M. Hubka 2); NB (Groen 3, Trees, Anna Endelman, Meg Thompson, Barth).