DEAN JACKSON
WZBD.com
GARRETT—It was business as usual for Bellmont, as the Braves cruised past Garrett in high school girls’ softball Friday, delivering a decisive 12-0 victory.
It was another crushing effort, just one day after dispatching Concordia 15-2.
The Braves (2-0) wasted no time asserting their dominance, lighting up the scoreboard with five runs in the first two innings and keeping their foot on the gas for the rest of the game.
Emily Bleke and Taylor Bauer led the offensive fireworks, each going 2-for-5 with three RBIs. Bleke crushed a towering home run—her third consecutive game going deep—and added a double, scoring twice.
Bauer set the tone with a rocket of a two-run blast to center in the first inning, sparking Bellmont’s early momentum. Taylor Sutter joined the long-ball party later, launching a solo homer to cement the Braves’ commanding offensive display.
Sophia Cole collected two hits and three runs in two at-bats.
On the mound, Bella Ashley (2-0) was in complete control, pitching a seven-inning shutout and allowing just one hit while striking out four. Her dominance extended to the plate, where she contributed with a 2-for-5 performance and scored a run.
“It helps that we have four juniors on the team. We have five seniors on the team, which brings strong leadership and plenty of experience. That’s a great asset,” said head coach Mindy Buuck. She also praised the Braves for their consistency and execution. “I liked the energy. It was great to see our defense work well tonight.”
Garrett (0-1) found the going tough in their season opener. Head coach Aaron Grindstaff acknowledged the challenges of facing a team like Bellmont while emphasizing the learning opportunities for his young squad. “We knew Bellmont was a good team,” Grindstaff said. “And, you know, obviously being our first game, and we’re very young, we didn’t have an opportunity to even scrimmage this year, so we knew it was going to be tough early. It’s a stepping stone for us.”
Grindstaff noted missed opportunities but remained optimistic.
“I think we had a few chances early on to make some things happen, but we didn’t capitalize. When playing a team like Bellmont, you can’t let chances go to waste—they will take advantage of it.”
After the loss, Grindstaff focused on the bigger picture. He said, “We don’t worry too much about the score right now. The goal is to execute what we’ve been practicing and prepare for the conference season. We know we’ll be prepared later in the season.”
In the fourth inning, Bauer hit a sharp RBI single to score Bleke. Oni Krueckeberg added a sacrifice fly to center, bringing Carissa Mickley home. This made the Braves’ lead 8-0.
Bellmont put the game out of reach in the seventh inning. Cole hit a single to the left, bringing in Liz Bobay and Finnley Godsey. A fielding error by Addy Work, the third baseman, on Ashley’s ground ball let Carissa Mickley and Cole score. That made the final score 12-0.
The Braves are back in action Monday at Adams Central.
