LVSS Softball Team is Playing Solid Ball
September 27, 2009
The 10-12 LVSS softball team is playing their best ball of the
season. Coach Wobken said:“We’ve got girls hitting the ball
and we are getting better about not working from a deficit. We have
a tendency to let people score on us early, often the first inning,
and then are put into the situation of having to battle back. In
our past few games, we’ve scored first and not allowed our
opponents to cross the plate. Our defense gets tougher each inning.
The girls are becoming more and more confident at the plate and it
shows in the kind of ball we have been playing this past week.”
At the David City Tournament on Saturday, September 19th, the
Raiders went 2-2. They battled back and forth with rated Twin
Rivers but went down in the bottom of the 7th 4-5. Earning hits for
LVSS were Britni Broussard, ShelbyWobken, Marisa Ruwe & Chelsie
Rangeloff.
In the most exciting game of the day, the ladies defeated #1
Yutan-Mead in 8 innings, 1-0. The only Raider hit came from Shelby
Wobken in the 7th but she was left stranded at 1st base sending the
game into extra innings, 0-0. In the 8th inning the International
Tie-Breaker was implemented where the last runner out, Marisa Ruwe,
was placed at 2nd base. Ruwe was sacrifice bunted to 3rd base by
teammate Brooke Ellerman. With one out, catcher Chelsie Rangeloff
stepped into the batter’s box. Rangeloff hit a grounder to the
Yutan SS, Ruwe went home, and a throw was made. The throw was in
time but it was high and Ruwe scored the only run that was needed.
In the bottom of the 8th Yutan’s coaching staff decided not to bunt
but hit instead. They had the top of their line-up at the plate. A
line-shot was hit to 2nd baseman Abbie Hunke who doubled off the
runner at 2nd for 2 outs with no runners on. The next batter had a
hit down the right field line. With two outs and the winning run at
the plate, LVSS pitcher, Shelby Wobken, struck out the #3 hitter
for the 3rd out to win the game. The #1 team in Class C was handed
their 2nd loss of the season.
Game #3 for the day was against Class B Schuyler. Chelsie Rangeloff
had two singles and Shelby Wobken had a triple and a single to help
earn the runs that were needed to defeat Schuyler 3-0. Wobken had
12 K’s in the shutout.
In the final game of the day, the ladies simply ran out gas. They
went down to Cross County 2-3. Wobken led the hitting with 2
doubles and a single. Britni Broussard had two singles, Brooke
Ellerman and Erika Pribnow contributed one hit apiece. Wobken had
11 strike-out but walked two and allowed six hits. “The first two
batters had hits and scored in the first inning against Cross
County. Our pitching staff has to be just as tough in the first
inning as we are in the last. We struggle with this concept and
need to keep working on getting mentally prepared earlier. Of the
63 runs that have been scored on us so far this season, 21 of those
runs have come in the 1st inning. In those nine games where we’ve
allowed a run(s) in the first inning, eight of them have resulted
in a loss.”
On September 22nd, LVSS traveled to Blair for a triangular with the
Bears and Ft. Calhoun. “Blair has an exceptional group of girls on
their team. They are solid all the way through and appear to be
strong in every position. The funny thing is that the pitcher that
threw against us, a junior, just signed a letter of intent with
Michigan State, and I’d have to say if Blair has a weakness, it
would have to be their pitching staff. Their pitchers are very good
but not totally dominating from the mound like some of the teams we
have played. Nielsen had 7 K’s against us in 7 innings. The first
time we played Blair this year Welchert struck out four of our
girls in four innings. They get more than their share of
strike-outs, but it’s their hitters and fielders that everyone is
talking about. They are simply amazing to watch and I am really
proud to say we hung with them like we did.”
LVSS went down 4-0 but were errorless in their efforts. “We made
the plays we needed to in order to get out of each inning. Our
defense was exceptional and made some nice outs in the field. Lots
of our girls put the bat on the ball offensively, but their defense
was there to take care of things. Abbie Hunke had our lone hit. I
was really proud of how we played a team that is ranked #3
all-class.”
Against Fort Calhoun, the ladies struggled adjusting to a slower
pitcher. “We were able to muster two hits, one was a timely double
from freshman Erika Pribnow. Pribnow’s ball knocked in pinch runner
Kendra Bloch who was running for Emily Dahl who had singled earlier
in the inning.” Ft. Calhoun was defeated 2-0. With help from her
catcher Chelsie Rangeloff, Shelby Wobken threw her 5th shutout of
the year sending 12 girls back to the dugout without putting the
ball into play.
In the final game of the week, the Raiders trounced Tekamah-Herman
9-0. “Shelby threw well tonight and was one pitch away from a
perfect game. She allowed a full-count triple in the 3rd for the
Tigers only hit of the game. She struck out 12 of 16 batters,” said
Coach Wobken. “Our hitters were the stars, though. We had seven
hits, three of which were sharp hit balls by Marisa Ruwe. Ruwe, a
junior 3rd baseman, is really taking care of us defensively this
year. She has had 29 assists so far this season and has a .896
fielding percentage which is great when your in a hot corner like
hers. She has been steady all the way through.”
Other Raider hits came from Erika Pribnow with a triple and a
single and Emily Dahl, Chelsie Rangeloff, & Shelby Wobken
contributing one single apiece.
This week the Raiders faced Wisner-Pilger on Monday night in
Scribner, traveled to Wayne on Tuesday and will have a JV
double-header with Wahoo on Thursday. They are in a tough quad in
Wahoo on Saturday where they will see Wahoo (ranked in Class C),
Bishop Neumann (ranked in Class C) and North Bend. Districts will
follow next week.
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