Washington Evening Journal
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EV softball on four-game win streak
By Joe Petz, The Hometown Current
Jun. 5, 2023 8:13 am
After starting the season 1-3, the English Valleys softball team has heated up, winning its last four games, including three this past week to move two games above the .500 mark at 5-3.
BGM
The battle of the Bears Friday, June 2, at Brooklyn went to English Valleys, 7-2.
Kennedy Axmear pitched a complete game six-hitter for EV, striking out five BGM batters, and she helped herself at the plate with two hits, including a home run, and three RBI.
Axmear shutout BGM over the last six innings after falling behind 2-0 in the first. Sher got a lot of offensive support from her teammates.
Senior Addy Westfall doubled twice and scored both times, junior Delaney Hall also scored twice and had a pair of hits, Imigyn Stratton tripled and Taylor Mikesell contributed an RBI single.
Keota
Coach Steve Hester’s Bears traveled to Keota Wednesday, May 31, and returned home with a 10-0 win.
Axmear dominated in the circle, limiting the Eagles to two hits, walking none and striking out 13.
All the offensive support she needed was a two RBI single by Ada Mews, an RBI double by Hall and an RBI single by Mikesell. EV drew seven walks in the game.
Iowa Valley
The Bears overcame a poor defensive performance in which they committed eight errors to beat the Tigers 12-5 Tuesday, May 30, at Marengo.
Only one of Iowa Valley’s runs were earned off Axmear, who held the Tigers to three hits, walked one and struck out six.
EV’s bats rang for nine hits, three of those from Westfall, including a double and one RBI. She also scored three times.
Axmear doubled twice and drove in two runs, Stratton and Aubrey Achenbach each went 2-for-4 with one RBI, and Mikesell and Addison Achenbach had RBI singles.
Burg Tournament
EV split to games in the Jim Turner Classic Saturday, May 27, at Williamsburg, losing 9-0 to Pella Christian and beating Colo-Nesco 11-6.
The Bears committed five errors and were held to three hits — singles by Westfall, Axmear and Stratton ¬— in their loss to Pella Christian.
Axmear carried the Bears to victory over Colo-Nesco, pitching a 10-strikeout, four-hitter and going 3-for-3 at the plate with a home run and three RBI.
Westfall and Addison Achenbach each had two hits and scored twice, and Mikesell doubled.
Sigourney
Carly Goodwin pitched a perfect game against EV Friday, May 26, at Sigourney, retiring all 21 batters she faced in a 9-0 Savage-Cobra victory.
A junior, Goodwin struck out 17 Bears and didn’t allow a ball to be hit out of the infield, getting the other four outs on three pop ups and a ground ball back to herself.
Belle Plaine
EV rolled to an 11-2 win over the Lady Plainsmen Wednesday, May 24, at North English,
Axmear pitched all seven innings, giving up just three hits and striking out nine.
Freshman Ava Gehrking tripled twice and drove in two runs for EV, Mikesell had three RBI on a pair of base hits, and Axmear and Aubrey Achenbach doubled and singled, respectively, to drive in runs.
Season Opener
The Bears opened the season Monday, May 22, at Thornburg with a 7-6 loss to Tri-County.
EV managed just three hits, two of those by Westfall driving in a pair of runs.
Axmear went the distance in the circle, giving up just four hits, walking one and striking out five.