By Morgan Rode sports@newmedia-wi.com
Leader Photo by Morgan Rode Bonduel’s Taylor Luepke makes a throw to first base after fielding a grounder during Tuesday’s nonconference game against Laona/Wabeno at Cedar Park in Bonduel.
The Bonduel High School softball team couldn’t get its bats going and Laona/Wabeno took advantage of some sloppy Bears defense in the seventh inning to pull away for an 8-0 nonconference win at Cedar Park in Bonduel on Tuesday.
Bonduel was held to just three hits and seven baserunners in the game, leaving coach Chris Reinke searching for answers.
“I don’t know (why the bats couldn’t get going) because this seemed like a good speed for our hitters. We had been hitting really well and then were struggling with our defense,” said Reinke. “Our defense, up until the seventh inning, played pretty well today — and we played really well (Monday). So I don’t really have an answer. I’m not really sure what the issue was.”
Sophomore Joanie Wudtke was the first Bonduel batter to reach base, singling with two outs in the second inning. Wudtke also reached on an error in the fourth. Strikeouts ended both innings.
The Bears put a pair of runners on in the third inning when seniors Jordyn Pingel and Alison Renner each walked, but a groundout ended the threat.
After Laona/Wabeno took the lead by scoring twice in the fifth, Bonduel looked to answer right back in the bottom half of the frame.
Renner singled to center to get the inning started. A blooper off the bat of senior McKenzie Wollenberg left Renner in a tough spot on the basepaths, and she was thrown out retreating to first base after the Laona/Wabeno second baseman made a lunging catch.
Freshman Nicole Koeller walked to extend the inning, but a groundout ended the frame.
Laona/Wabeno had its first sixth batters in the seventh reach base and eventually come around to score. Several errors aided in the visitors big inning.
“I don’t know if its the youth of some of the players playing but it seems like once one of the wheels fall off, the next wheel falls off and we can’t stop it from multiplying,” said Reinke. “And that’s something that we have to be able to fix because obviously teams try and take advantage of that and then instead of maybe giving up one run, we give up three or more runs.”
Freshman Julia Lorbiecki singled with one out in the ninth, but the Bears couldn’t push her around to get on the scoreboard.
Junior Taylor Luepke pitched all seven innings for the Bears. She finished with four strikeouts.