MIKE MACKE
WZBD
On Wednesday the Bellmont softball squad visited Knights’ Field at Norwell for an important NE8 conference game. Norwell entered the game at 5 – 4 on the season, 0 – 1 in the conference. Bellmont was 5 – 7 coming in, 0 – 2 in the NE8. The weather was perfect for the game and both teams were hoping it would facilitate their first conference win. It was the Braves of Bellmont who won 5 – 2 in a well-played game that featured excellent defense on both sides.
Neither team could mount much of a threat in the first three innings as second base was as far as either pitcher allowed. Sophomore Madyson Sonnigson allowed a hit in the first and a hit in the fourth keeping the Braves scoreless.
Bellmont’s Senior hurler, Piper Baker was equally as good through three allowing just one hit. Norwell broke the ice in the fourth when a leadoff hit by Jordan Markley got things started. During the next at bat, however, Emily Bleke gunned down Markley on an attempted steal as she hit shortstop Aaliyah Faurote in stride. The SS applied the nifty tag to erase Markley from the basepath. Sami Lemler drew the walk in the at bat and moved to second when cleanup hitter Kaydance Clark singled sharply through the infield. After a popup to first gave Norwell two outs, a single by Emma Bailey loaded the bases. Elle Misch then drove in two with the fourth hit of the inning. Teagan Lesley’s fly to right fielder Ella Franze ended the threat and Norwell held a 2 – 0 lead after four.
Bellmont didn’t let the Lady Knights enjoy the lead for long as they sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the fifth, scoring four runs. It began when freshman first baseman Liz Bobay drew the first walk of the game by Sonnigson to leadoff the inning. Kenzie Mankey followed with a single and the number nine batter Faurote drew a base on balls to load the bases. Bleke then roped a single up the middle to score Bobay. Sami Christen followed with her second single of the game to drive in two and the Braves had the lead.
A single by Mary Kate Scheumann loaded the bases again with nobody out. Consecutive fly balls to center by Baker and Jillian Wemhoff were not deep enough to score Bleke from third as Markley fired strikes to home to keep the runners at bay. A wild pitch to Taylor Bauer was enough for Bleke to scamper home and Bellmont had their fourth run. Bauer drew a walk to load them up again but Kayla Watkins, who came in to relieve Sonnigson induced a soft liner to short to end the frame with the Braves leading 4 – 2.
Baker and her defense took care of the rest as Norwell put the ball in play, but the fielding of the Braves was flawless. Shortstop Faurote was particularly sharp as she accounted for six of the last nine outs of the game. Bobay made a couple of terrific stretches at first on the receiving end of those plays. Scheumann also made a great catch on a fly ball in left field that ended a scoring chance in the fifth.
Kenzie Mankey scored an insurance run in the 6th when she led off the inning with her second hit of the game and scored after singles by Christner and Scheumann to give Bellmont the final margin of 5 – 2.
Baker picked up the win giving up the two runs on six hits. She gave up one walk and recorded four strikeouts while going the distance. Offensively, Christen was three of four with two RBIs. Mankey was two for three, scoring twice. Scheumann had two hits and an RBI. Bleke was one for four with a run scored. Bobay and Faurote each walked once and scored a run.
Sonnigson took the loss, giving up four runs on six hits in four and two-thirds innings of work. She gave up three walks and struck out one. Markley went two for three, as did Emma Bailey.
Norwell drops to 5 – 5, 0 – 2 in the conference, while Bellmont improves to 6 – 7, 1 – 2 in the NE8.
The Braves play again Thursday as they take on FW North Side, then South Adams comes in Decatur on Friday. That clash will be broadcast live on WZBD.