Bulldog Softball Picks up One Win Last Week

The Hampton-Dumont-CAL softball team went 1-2 in the three games they played last week. They would drop their first two games of the week, losing to the AGWSR Cougars 7-2 on Tuesday, June 3 and to the St. Edmond Gaels 9-9 on Wednesday, June 4, before beating the Iowa Falls-Alden Cadets 10-8 on Friday, June 6. 

On Tuesday the Bulldogs dropped their game versus AGWSR. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 2-1 lead, scoring a run in the top of the second inning and in the top of the sixth inning, before the Cougars would score six in the bottom of the sixth inning to steal the game. Senior Mallor Rieken and eighth grader Aliyah Swieter would score the two Bulldog’s runs. Eighth grader Kendall Eilderts would be the starting pitcher for the Bulldogs and she would pitch five and one-thirds innings allowing five runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out seven batters. 

On Wednesday, the Bulldogs would lose to St. Edmond after the Gaels offense put up a strong performance. The Bulldogs would score one run in the bottom of the first inning, the bottom of the fifth inning and the bottom of the seventh inning. Rieken, senior Charlee Morton and sophomore Kendal Eilderts each had one RBI. Morton had a big day, going three for four at the plate including a home run. Eilderts was the Bulldogs starter and would toss five and two-thirds innings pitched allowing eight runs on 11 hits and three walks while striking out four batters. 

The Bulldogs would pick up a win to close out the week on Friday, June 6 with a tight extra inning victory over Iowa Falls-Alden. The Bulldogs would jump out to a 7-2 lead, after scoring one run in the top of the first inning, thanks to a Morton home run and scored three runs in both the top of the fifth and sixth innings. The Cadets would storm back with a five run bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game and force extra innings. In the top of the eight the Bulldogs would score three more runs and hold the Cadets to just one run in the bottom half of the inning to capture the 10-8 victory. Rieken, Swieter and Morton set the tone at the top of lineup, with each collecting three hits while freshman Keeley Moorehead led the Bulldogs collecting four hits. Eilderts was once again the Bulldogs starter and she pitched a complete game tossing eight innings, allowing eight runs on 14 hits and six walks while striking out nine batters. While she gave up the lead in the bottom of the seventh, she was able to reel herself back in and close out the game in the bottom of the eighth. Head coach of the Bulldogs Kelsey Enslin praised her team’s ability to not let blowing the lead late discourage them and still walk away with the victory. 

“I told the girls that this was a huge growth game for us,” said Enslin. “We are very young overall, so to be able to lock back in and get the outs we had to get was huge. I think it also helps the girls gain confidence moving forward.” 

Enslin also talked about how the top of the lineup was able to set the tone for the offense on Friday night.

“It was a huge offensive explosion for us, which was something we had talked about needing and we have been focusing on that so that was great to see,” she said. “I can’t say enough about Mallory and Charlee specifically at the top of the lineup as senior leaders. They keep calm under pressure, never get too high or too low and they model the trust and belief the girls have to have in each other.” 

The Bulldogs 1-2 week pushed their season record to 2-4. They will compete in four games this week and will look to get to .500.