The Eagle Grove softball team made the trip north to Britt to challenge West Hancock High in an Eagles vs Eagles matchup last Wednesday, May 24.
"We took care of business right away," said Coach Jim McLaughlin. Which was accurate, as Eagle Grove scored 3 times in the first inning, while holding West Hancock at bay. In the second inning the Eagles scored again, once again denying the hole plate to West Hancock, and the third inning was a repeat of the second.
Then came the fourth inning, when the Eagles scored six times, and still denied West Hancock so much as a score on an error, taking an 11 to none lead!
In the 5th inning West Hancock finally managed to get a point on the board, but it wasn't enough, and Eagle Grove took home the win, 11 to 1 in 5 innings. "This was a big bounce back game for us after our disappointing game the night before," said Coach McLaughlin, referring to the Eagles' loss to the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Cowgirls. "The team really responded well and didn’t show any lingering effects from last night’s game."
Olivia Conaway scored two hits (including a double) while Addy Jeske, Braxton Steil, Tarissa Middleton, Nadia Kaiser, Celeste Figueroa, and Brooklyn Osborn each had a hit in the win as well. Figueroa led our Eagles with two RBIs, while Middleton scored three times and Jeske, Braxton Steil, and Calli Steil each scored twice.
Overall both teams were tied in at bats at 19, with Eagle Grove getting seven hits to West Hancock's five, while Eagle Grove scored one double to West Hancock's zero, with Eagle Grove taking four strikeouts to West Hancock's eight. Eagle Grove also led West Hancock in total bases, with eight to West Hancock's five.
In pitching, Eagle Grove's Brooklyn Osborne easily outclassed West Hancock's Eden Nielsen (both juniors). Osborne threw only 43 pitches to Nielsen's 125, with Osborne facing 18 opponents at bat compared to Nielsen facing just three more. Osborne allowed only two hits, one walk, and one run in the game, while Nielsen allowed seven hits,four walks, and 11 runs. Nielsen also struck two opponents with wild pitches, and allowed one sacrifice, while Osborne did neither.
Leading Eagles were the game's clear MVP, senior Brooklyn Osborne, who pitched a fantastic two hitter and did not give up even a single earned run (with five innings pitched and seven strikeouts), junior Olivia Conaway (with two hits, and a double) and junior Celeste Figueroa (with one hit, and two RBI's).
