Daily Newsletters
Account
Washington Evening Journal
111 North Marion Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
319-653-2191
Washington holds off Fort Madison
Demon softball stays perfect in SEC action with win over Bloodhounds
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
WASHINGTON — Washington softball continues to dominate Southeast Conference play, picking up its sixth consecutive league victory with a 4-2 win over Fort Madison on Thursday night.
The Demons wasted no time getting on the board. Leadoff hitter Leighton Salazar opened the game with a double, and Ella Greiner followed with an RBI single to bring her home.
After Greiner stole two bases, Alyvia Anderson drove her in with a sacrifice fly to left field, giving Washington an early 2-0 lead, a lead they would never surrender.
Fort Madison didn’t go quietly, however. The Bloodhounds kept it close throughout, trimming the deficit to 2-1 in the second inning with a bases-loaded walk.
Washington limited the damage thanks to Colbie Greiner, who forced a key groundout to Salazar to strand three runners.
In the bottom half of the second, Washington responded. Freshman Natalie Hartman singled in Halle Cuddeback to extend the lead to 3-1.
Fort Madison stayed within striking distance by scoring again in the third, but that would be their last run of the game.
Cuddeback took over in the circle and shut things down from there. The reliever held the Bloodhounds scoreless over the final five innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out three.
Washington added an insurance run in the sixth when Colbie Greiner drew a bases-loaded walk. That proved more than enough, as Cuddeback ended the game with a strikeout in the seventh.
Offensively, Leighton Salazar and Ella Greiner each collected two hits, while Reagan Miller, Natalie Hartman, Isabella Salazar, and Colbie Greiner each added one. RBIs came from Hartman, Anderson, Colbie Greiner, and Ella Greiner.
With the win, the Demons remain unbeaten in conference play at 6-0 and improve to 11-4 overall.
Washington also had a busy weekend at the Jesup Tournament, where they finished fifth out of 14 teams.
On Friday, the Demons split a pair of games, edging Don Bosco 4-3 before falling to West Delaware 10-4. They bounced back strong on Saturday with two wins, a 5-4 victory over Edgewood-Colesburg and a 6-3 win against Decorah.
The Demons now stand at 14-5 overall, continuing their strong midseason form.
