The Loudonville Redbirds have been hot to start the season, with the softball team winning three games and improving to 8-2 on the year.
"Our biggest strength right now is just battling and coming together as a team," said Coach Serena Fenton. "I wouldn’t call us a young team or a seasoned team at this point. We have key positions played by freshmen, sophomore, juniors, and seniors, so getting these girls all firing together will be the key."
Fenton said the team's biggest improvement needs are to not let an inning spiral out of control.
"Our only two losses have been from letting an inning get away from us," she said. "We talk a lot about picking each other up and having short term memory after an error, that way they don’t compound on us.
Loudonville 24, Mansfield Christian 0
Loudonville won three games last week to improved to 8-2 on the season, which included a huge 24-0 win over Mansfield Christian, where Karena Burgess knocked in five runs while smashing four hits.
Burgess was 4-for-5 with two doubles and a triple, while also scoring three times. Olyvia Fenton was 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs, four runs, a steal and a walk. Alesha Felix had a double and three runs scored.
Carlee Young, Jaiden Stitzlein and Payton VanSickle also had doubles in the game. Stitzlein had four RBIs, while Young and VanSickle knocked in two runs. Helaina Gray was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Kylie Dininger had an RBI in the win.
Stitzlein had herself a day in the pitching circle, allowing only one hit and one walk, while striking out 10 in the five inning shutout.
Loudonville 6, Mapleton 4
VanSickle was the hero in a 6-4 win over Mapleton, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI for the Redbirds.
Loudonville scored the first run when Felix drove in Burgess on a fielder’s choice. Young then bunted for a single and VanSickle scored on the play. Stitzlein hit an RBI single to go up 3-0.
Mapleton put a run on the board in the fourth, but in the top of the fifth the Redbirds scored three more runs to go up 6-2. VanSickle had an RBI single and Felix followed with a two run triple. Mapleton scored runs in the fifth and sixth innings, but Loudonville was able to hold on.
Felix also had a solid day at the plate, knocking in three runs and going 3-for-4 with a triple. Stitzlein was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Young was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Natalee Buzzard pitched a complete seven innings, allowing seven hits, four runs but three earned, and a walk, while striking out two.
Loudonville 7, Ashland 6
Loudonville walked away with a 7-6 win over Ashland in what was a nail biter, led by VanSickle who drove in three runs on a clutch double.
The Redbirds scored twice in the first inning, on a misplayed ground ball where Olyvia Fenton scored, and then a sacrifice fly by Felix.
Ashland got on the board in the third inning, when Josie VanTilburg hit an RBI single. The Arrows tied the game in the fourth when Emma Puckett reached on an error and Gracie Ellis came around to score. Ashland added another run when Alanah Cole scored on an error, and went up 4-2 when Puckett reached on another error.
The Redbirds responded with a pair of runs in the sixth inning when Gray hit a two-run single to make it 4-4. VanSickle then had the biggest play of the day, driving a three run double to left field to make it a 7-4 game.
Loudonville’s fielding woes continued in the sixth inning, and the Arrows capitalized with a run. Isla McFrederick followed with an RBI single, but that was all for Ashland, as Loudonville was able to shut them down the rest of the way.
Ashland was led by McFrederick, who was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Cole was 2-for-3 with a run.
Stitzlein got the win for Loudonville, going seven innings, allowing five hits and six runs, but none of them earned. She walked three and struck out five.
Keagan Slater got the loss, allowing seven runs but only one earned. She allowed 10 hits and two walks, and struck out three.
"This past week Alesha Felix, Payton VanSickle and Helaina Gray really stood out," Coach Fenton said. "They all played solid defense and have been hitting the ball hard. Payton has been coming through in some big situations. Natalee Buzzard and Jaiden Stitzlein have been pitching well also. It’s been an all around team effort day after day, I could probably say key things about everyone."
