Errors doom Demon softball

Errors in the fifth inning doomed the Washington softball team on Thursday night.

The Demons held Fort Madison scoreless through the first four innings of Game 1 of a doubleheader, but seven unearned runs came across to score in the top of the fifth, as Washington ended up being swept on the night.

?Maddie (Hinrichsen) threw well in the first game and we played great defense through four innings,? Washington softball head coach Angie Shrader said. ?The fifth inning happened, then the first four people who reached base were on errors. It wasn?t Maddie?s fault, but when your defense falls apart, as a pitcher, it?s frustrating.?

The Demons were only able to muster three hits in the first game, with two of them coming in the second inning.

Brooke Stout and Taylor Dicks each had singles in that frame, while Kayla Andrew had a base knock of her own in the fifth inning.

After giving up seven unearned runs in the fifth inning, Fort Madison responded with seven more runs in the sixth inning, ending the game early 14-0.

In Game 2, Fort Madison spread its scoring around, with one run in the first, followed by four in the second inning.

The Demons put a run on the board in the bottom of the third as Morgan Brinning came around to score on a Stout single.

The Demons had five hits in Game 2, with three of them coming from the bat of Stout.

On the night, Stout went 4-for-6 at the plate.

Fort Madison put up two runs in the fourth inning, followed by a six-run fifth to end the game with a 13-1 victory.

?We just have to keep fighting; it?s that simple,? Shrader said. ?When they go up to bat, get better. Use your at-bat to get better and make something happen. If you hit a hard ball and they make a great play, so be it, but learn from your at-bat.?

Washington plays in a tournament at Oskaloosa on Saturday and then will take on Fairfield on the road for a conference doubleheader on Monday.