Softball splits with River Falls

• Kindra Witthus (24) takes a cut at a pitch

Sophomore Kindra Witthus (24) takes a cut at a pitch in the sixth inning of the Raiders’ 10-5 win at River Falls last Thursday. Witthus had two hits, including a double, and two RBI in the victory. River Falls won the nightcap, 4-2. Photo by Bob Burrows

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The Raider softball team banged out 17 hits in a 10-5 victory over River Falls in the first game of a doubleheader last Thursday, April 28, but the Wildcats earned some revenge in the nightcap and handed Hudson its loss of the season by a score of 4-2.

Last Saturday’s scheduled doubleheader against Marshfield was cancelled due to rain and leaves the Raiders with records of 5-1 overall, 3-1 in the Big Rivers Conference, heading into doubleheaders against Rice Lake (3-2, 2-2) and Eau Claire North (4-2, 0-2) this week. The Eau Claire North games are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 5. The Raiders will also compete Saturday, May 7 in a tournament in Fridley, Minn., and play another double-header Tuesday, May 10 at Chippewa Falls.

Last Thursday, in the first game of a doubleheader at River Falls, the Raiders scored three runs in the top of the first inning and extended their lead to 7-0 before holding off a five-run River Falls’ rally in the bottom of the sixth.

Maya Triebold led the Raiders with four hits, including a double, and six runs batted in while Destrey Zarfos was 3-for-3 and scored twice. Pitcher Alex Johnson helped her own cause with a two-run single in the first while Kindra Witthus had two hits and one RBI and Deven DuCharme had a hit, run batted in and walked twice.

Sydney Berger had two hits and two runs scored and Shelby Berger had a pair of hits and scored a run while Lexi Smith was 2-for-3 with a walk.

Just one of the Wildcats’ five runs against Johnson was earned. The sophomore went the distance on the mound and allowed just one hit while striking out five and walking three.

In the nightcap, the Raiders jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Shelby Berger walked, went to second on a single by Witthus, moved to third on a walk to DuCharme and scored when Triebold hit into a fielder’s choice.

River Falls scored four times in the top of the second to take the lead for good, 4-1. Hudson pushed another run across in the third inning when Sydney Berger walked, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Shelby Berger and scored on a single by Witthus, but that’s as close as they could get.

Hudson loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth on three straight singles by Zarfos, Sydney Berger and Shelby Berger but couldn’t produce a run.

Witthus singled twice and was the only Raider with more than one hit in the game. Smith took the loss on the mound, allowing three earned runs and seven hits with two strikeouts and five walks.

Tags: sports, softball, raiders, prep