Riverdale downs Lady Redskins in opener
The Wapakoneta softball team opened its 2021 season with a loss to visiting Riverdale in a nonleague contest on Saturday afternoon at Mercyhealth Field.
Wapakoneta had the early lead with one run in the second and four more in the third. But Riverdale rallied, scoring six times in the fifth, then adding an insurance run in the sixth.
Rylie Jeanneret started and pitched four innings for Wapakoneta. She allowed two runs on five hits. Allie Wilson then threw three innings of relief. She gave up five runs on eight hits. Each of them struck out six.
Carlie Schroeder had two hits including a double. Maddi Doseck, Tianna Thompson and Jeanneret
each had hits as well. Thompson and Jeanneret collected two RBIS each.
In the bottom of the first, Riverdale got two strikeouts. Schroeder then doubled to right, and Taylor West got a walk. But another strikeout ended the scoring threat.
In the bottom of the
With one out in the bottom of the third, Ryan Campo became the first Redskin to get on base when his fly ball to right was lost in the sun, and bounced off the fielder’s glove. But he would get picked off in a rundown, and a strikeout ended the inning.
Reser reached on an error to open the fourth inning. He moved up on a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Zink singled to the left side of the infield, plating Reser to boost the lead to 4-0. Goulet then walked the next two batters, loading the bases, but escaped the jam with a groundout to third.
Goulet began the Redskins’ second time through the order by breaking up the no-hit bid. He sent a pitch from Zink into the gap in left-center for a double. Garrett Siefring put down a bunt to move him to third. Talowsky hit a grounder to third. The defense chose to retire him, which permitted Goulet to score the Redskins’ first run of 2021. Another groundout then closed out
the frame.
King reached on an error to lead off the fifth. That made four straight at-bats where the visitors got the leadoff man aboard, three of them without a hit. King stole second and took third on a passed ball. After Goulet got a strikeout, he was facing Reser.
King broke for the plate, and Reser reached up with the bat, dropping the ball just to the side of the mound. King then came safely across with run number five before Reser was retired at first.
In the top of the sixth, Northmont had two runners picked off thanks to good moves by Talowsky from behind the plate.
Camper then led off the home half with a single to center. A pickoff attempt sailed offline, and he went to second. After a strikeout, Goulet put down a bunt. Goulet was able to reach due to another errant throw, and Camper moved to third on the play.
A passed ball allowed Camper to score, and Goulet to take second. Siefring struck out, but Talowsky singled to center, scoring Goulet and getting it to 5-3. Zink finished the inning by getting Crow on a called strike three.
Wapakoneta kept Northmont from adding to its lead in the seventh. With King now on the mound for the Thunderbolts, Austin West drew a leadoff walk. Caleb Reser was sent in to run. He took second on a wild pitch and stole third.
But King was able to earn the save, retiring Kaden Siefring, Brandon Schneider and Camper all via strikeouts.
Game Notes
Good crowd on hand for the home fans.
Weather was a little cloudy at the start, but turned warm and sunny as the game went along.
Wapakoneta (0-1) will travel to Delphos St. John’s for a nonleague game today at 5 p.m.