Rams close day at T.J. Classic with 7-5 win

After a slow start to the day and a close loss to Hawkeye 10 Conference foe Council Bluffs St. Albert, Glenwood closed its days at the Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson Softball Classic with a 7-5 win over the host Yellowjackets Saturday.

The Rams (6-13, 3-9 in the Hawkeye 10 Conference) struggled through an 8 a.m. first pitch, 8-1 loss to Earlham before being outdueled by the Saintes to in 2-1 loss in pool play. Against Thomas Jefferson, the Rams bounced back for 12 hits in a 7-5 win to close their day.

Glenwood coach Kylee Stanton said it felt like her team played better as the day went on.

“We just kind of walked into the last game more relaxed, more just knowing we were playing from one inning to the next and not necessarily thinking the whole game at one time and I think it helped the girls mindsets,” Stanton said.

Allison Koontz took the game one loss for the Rams. The eighth grader allowed seven hits and five earned runs in three innings of work.

Against the St. Albert, Kelly Embray came on and threw a complete game but took the tough luck loss after scattering just two hits and one earned run while striking out six.

Stanton thought her team played much better in game two, especially at the plate.

“I felt like we hit the ball 10 times better but they just happened to be straight at the other jerseys and not in the holes we needed,” she said. “We couldn’t get runners in.”

A quick start in the win over Thomas Jefferson was exactly what her team looking for, Stanton said. The Rams plated just one run in the frame but it gave hitters the confidence they needed.

“We finished with 12 hits in that game and we did a really good job of putting the ball in play,” she said. “And our defense played really solid. It felt like a complete ball game.”

Freshman McKenna Koehler started and went 5 1/3 innings in the win over Thomas Jefferson but did not factor in the decision. Allison Koontz came on to pitch the final 1 2/3 innings to pick up the win. Koontz struck out three and allowed one hit.    

Madison Barrett and Koontz each notched four hits apiece on the day. Barrett also drove in two runs.

Creston 7,
Glenwood 0

Keely Coen allowed just three hits for Creston in a 7-0 Hawkeye 10 Conference victory over Glenwood last Tuesday.

Coen struck out five and walked one in the win.

Glenwood coach Kylee Stanton said she felt like her team the ball hard off Coen but had the misfortune of hitting it right at defenders.

“Their shortstop made some phenomenal plays on shots we normally get base hits off,” she said. “And that was kind of the story. We didn’t strike out much and we put the ball in play all night long. We had a couple errors on defense but they didn’t really hurt us. The just out hit us and out played us.”

Gracie Hagle and Sophie Hagle had two hits each for Creston. Peyton Rice doubled and drove in two runs.

Pitchers Allison Koontz and Mia Valquier combined in the circle to allow seven hits and seven earned runs with six strikeouts. Koontz was credited with the loss.
    
Cyclones sweep Rams

Harlan hurlers Tianna Kasperbauer and Emily Brouse combined to allow six hits and strike out 25 in a pair of Cyclone victories over Glenwood in a Hawkeye 10 Conference double-header last Monday.

The Cyclones (16-8, 9-2 in the conference) won game one 10-0 behind Kasperbauer’s three-hit, 15 strikeout performance and then won the nightcap 7-1. Brouse struck out 10 and scattered three hits in the game two win.

The Rams struggled in both games to find their rhythm offensively.

“We did not it well in the first game,” said Glenwood coach Kylee Stanton. “We struck out more than we came close to putting the ball in play and then we had errors on top of that. Harlan is solid team and you just can’t give away runs. Game two, we played a lot better. It wasn’t our best game but we played and hit better. We had a couple rips down the first base line that you hope can get through line that they snagged then.”

Glenwood combined for seven errors that led to seven unearned runs in the two games combined.

Allison Koontz took the game one loss in the circle for Glenwood. Koontz gave up 13 hits and six earned runs. Mia Valquier went the distance in game two. The freshman allowed five hits and four earned runs but struggled with her control, hitting six batters, and walking three.

“I feel like threw well, Mia hit a few batters but they only scored a couple runs off those and for the most part, they threw with control and tried get them to chase some stuff. Allie’s rise ball got a few girls on some strikeouts because it breaks well and Mia has a solid change up that teams have a hard time hitting. When they start to trust them a little more, we’re going to find even more success.”

Brouse and Kate Heithoff had three hits and a drove in a run each in the two wins.