Four games were on tap for the Kimball softball team last week. Three of the four were decided by one run, with the last at-bat being the decisive factor in each game. Holdingford The week began at Holdingford, which had defeated Kimball by a 6-5 margin in their first meeting. History repeated itself as the Huskers again won, 6-5. The Cubs scored twice in the first inning. Angie Garding and Jami Weigelt both singled and were driven home on singles from Amelia Hentges and Casey Williams. Holdingford tied the game in the third, and the score stuck until the bottom of the sixth when the Huskers scored again to take a 3-2 lead into the seventh. Amanda Schiefelbein started a Kimball rally with a single, Jen Schefers reached base on an error, and both were driven home by Garding, who then scored on a ground out. Kimball took a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh, but the Huskers had a rally of their own. The Huskers used a base hit and two walks to load the bases. Two more base hits brought home three runs, and the Cubs were again 6-5 losers to Holdingford. Maple Lake Tuesday’s contest was against first-place Maple Lake, who came into the game with a 12-1 record. Maple Lake’s only loss this season was a 9-8 Kimball win in the second game of the season. Maple Lake was not to be taken by surprise again; they pounded out 12 hits while keeping the Cubs to two hits. Kimball’s only hits came from Jodine Lemke and Kari Mackereth. Pierz The Thursday and Friday games bring to mind the adage of the “Cardiac Kids,” as the Cubs staged big rallies in both games to win two tight games. The Cubs scored three in the first against Pierz, as Hentges drove in Garding and Weigelt with a double and then scored herself. The Cubs collapsed defensively and Pierz scored seven times in the second and another five in the fourth to take a 12-3 lead. The Cubs began a comeback when Jodine Lemke homered with Weigelt aboard. Hentges, Jessica Gully, Garding, Weigelt and Lemke scored again, and the game stood at 15-10 entering the bottom of the sixth inning. Weigelt, who was 2-3 with four runs scored, started the rally when she was hit by a pitch. Lemke, Hentges and Gully walked, and Casey Williams drove the second run home. Whitney Gettler and Amanda Schiefelbein singled home runs, and Garding drove home the sixth run of the inning to beat Pierz, 16-15. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa The Cubs were so excited by their comeback win on Thursday that they staged an even bigger comeback versus BBE Friday. The Cubs gave up nine hits and committed six errors in the first three innings to find themselves at an 11-0 deficit. Jessica Gully came on in relief to pitch the final four innings. She gave up three hits and one run to give Kimball a chance to mount a comeback. It began in the fourth inning when Amanda Schiefelbein doubled Andrea Miller and Weigelt home with the Cubs’ first two runs. Gully followed with a double to score Lemke and Schiefelbein, and came home herself to bring the score to 11-5. Both teams added runs in the fifth to bring the score to 12-6 going into the bottom of the seventh. Weigelt started the inning with a double. Lemke and Schiefelbein reached base on errors, and base hits from Mackereth, Jenna Stenger and Jen Schefers scored five runs. Angie Garding came to the plate with two outs and Schefers on second. She ripped a triple into right centerfield to tie the game when Schefers scored. Weigelt, who had started the rally, came to the plate and singled to right, driving in Garding with the winning run in a thrilling 13-12 victory over BBE. The Cubs take on BBE again Monday, May 10, travel to Howard Lake Waverly-Winsted Tuesday, and conclude the home portion of the schedule with a game against Eden Valley-Watkins Thursday. One thing the Cubs proved last week is that it doesn’t pay to leave the game early because it’s not over till it’s over.
