Thursday, May 1, Kimball hosted Holdingford in a two-game affair and snatched them both, 16-6 and 8-7. In game one, Holdingford scored two runs in the first inning, but Kimball scored seven in the bottom half, on two-run homers by both Shay Krippner and Becky Holtz. Inning two saw Alexis Rose pound a two-run home run, and after two, the Cubs were up 12-2. Holdingford would score four more runs in the game, but the Cubs never looked back, adding three runs in the third inning and one more in the fifth, ending the game via the ten-run rule.
Game one highlights: Stacy Hurrle, 2 for 3, run scored; Alexis Rose, 1 for 4, 2 runs scored, 3 RBI; Lauren Libbesmeier, 2 for 4, RBI; Shay Krippner, 3 for 4, 3 runs scored, 3 RBI; Becky Holtz, 4 for 4, 2 runs scored, 3 RBI; Emily Utecht, 1 for 2, 3 runs scored, RBI. Shelby Schiefelbein, Madison Libbesmeier, and Maddy Schreifels had one hit each. Alexis Rose was the winning pitcher.
Base running blunders in the first inning prevented Kimball from jumping to an early lead in the finale. Two Cubs?Äô errors in the second inning allowed the flood gates to open, as Holdingford scored seven times on eight hits. But Kimball slammed the gates shut, blanking the Huskers the rest of the way. The lady Cubs clawed their way back into the game by making key defensive stops in the fourth inning, when Stacy Hurrle caught a line drive and doubled up a runner on third. That effort was trumped by Maddison Libbesmeier, who made a diving catch for the second out in the bottom of the sixth, preventing a would-be double. The Cubs posted four runs in the second, one in the
third and three more in the sixth, sealing the one-run victory.
Game two highlights: Maddison Libbesmeier, 3 for 3, run scored; Stacy Hurrle, 1 for 3, run scored; Alexis Rose, 1 for 3, run scored, 2 RBI; Shelby Schiefelbein, 1 for 2, 2 runs scored. The winning pitcher was Emily Utecht.
Emily Utecht pitches the second game for Kimball vs Holdingford Thursday, May 1. Staff photo by Marguerite Laabs.