The Richland Center high school softball team opened the season with a 10-nothing five-inning
victory over visiting Wasika Stuban last night.
It was a rainy, cool day for the first game of the season.
The story of the contest was Richland Center's sophomore Kyrie Fisher, who started the season
with a perfect five-innings pitched.
She struck out 13 of the 15 batter she faced and did not allow a hit or a base runner.
The Hornets made a run to the sectional final game last year and are hoping that confidence
and experience that was gained will roll over to this year.
JC Gander was three for three at the plate with a double in five RBI.
Reagan Shep was two for four with two scored.
Ella Clements, Ella Karen's Fisher, Tatum Razick and Ava Martin all had hits in the 10-hit
attack.
Morgan Kleppi had an RBI and Ava Martin had two RBI for the Hornets.
Zika Stuban returns all-state players, Isabella Bunders and Brianna Ray from the season
ago.
Ray pitched three innings and struck out six while walking one and giving up six hits.
Elena Crachey pitched the fourth inning for the visiting Hornets.
Following the 10-nothing win, Richland Center will prepare for a non-conference game at
home Tuesday against Royal during spring break for the district next week.
Zika Stuban will play its home opener next Thursday against Belmont.
Riverdale opened up with a win at Wisconsin Heights 15-9.
The Chieftains in fact will play another game later today at home against Cashton.
Mount Horob's 16, Highland 2 and 5 innings, Nassita over LaFarge 12-2 in six innings and
Eastabuc beat Southwestern 12-2 as well in high school softball.
It was a good start to the season for the Richland Center high school track teams.
I talk yesterday with first-year head track coach Michelle Lewis.
We had a really successful first meet.
We had four of our school records broken, so Robert Budden broke our 400 meter and Pearl
Fretts.
She broke our mile record and then Duncan Harper actually broke his own indoor record
for the 55 meter.
He crushed the two mile record for us.
Awesome.
So some good times early on.
What's impressed you the most about the team so far during your first couple of weeks?
I think I really like my goal for this season was track is really an individual sport, but
I wanted to make it more about being a team too and we warm up together and then one
of the big things is this year I want to make them cool down together, so always 10 minutes
before the end of practice.
We cool down together, somebody leads and just that like camaraderie and that team aspect
and they really like soaked that up and it's just fun seeing them be kids but also encourage
each other and be athletes.
Another win for the school and the team is the fact that you've got a lot out this spring.
That's got to be exciting, isn't it?
Yeah, we have about 52 athletes right now which is just wild that makes it a little difficult
for registering because unfortunately not everybody will always get to have an event but we
were able to make it work for our first meet every single person got to be in at least one
event so that was awesome.
And when is your next meet?
We have a meet next Thursday, it is Thursday the second at Dodgeville, it will be our first
outdoor meet.
And it sounds like that spring break as well that week for Bristol Center, isn't it?
Yeah, that spring break so unfortunately a lot of kids who are in choir hadn't to New
York City so they won't be able to be in that meet.
We'll have a small number but that's okay, we're going to take who we can take and go
from there.
Well, with that kind of number that gives you a strength to maybe win some of these big
meets this year, do you think about that and set goals?
Yeah, that's one of the first things that we did actually when we had some indoor practices
as I had the kids set some goals of their own.
I think that's really important, I've gotten a lot of knowledge from the cross country
coach, Eric Mendoam, him and I are good friends so we've been going back and forth and I'm
just like picking his brain after their successful season and setting some goals and trying
to have some good things in mind for this year.
Yeah, Interest, you bring that up, that was going to be my next question about the success
of the cross country season in the fall, can that carry over to the spring season?
Yeah, we have a lot of those same athletes, those boys and girls out so our distance team
is pretty big.
I mean, you know, we've got Robbie Budden, Ryan Stadler, Cunen Culver, Devon Woodhouse
was on that cross country team.
He kind of just wants to pull vault this year and he's doing amazing at that and then obviously
freshman Owen Dreyer, he won sectionals in cross country and I just expect great things
from those boys and even the girls they're putting in the work and they're excited.
Best of luck to the Richland Center track teams this year that was head coach Michelle
Lewis.
Coffee clutch bowling from yesterday, Holy Rollers had an 18, 79 spare parts 18, 63,
the gutter gals 18, 50, three aces, 6, 96, gutter gals, 674, spare parts of 6, 60 top series
Lyla Kraska and Patti LeBansky, 504s, Tammy Swingle of 491, Marsha Mahatka of 487, top
game Marlene Gary, 201, Patti LeBansky, 200, Judy Skelly of 181.
And as far as splits picked up, Judy Adrian with a 27, Bar Burns, a 278, D and Kepler
of 57, Vicki Neff of 310, Jean Nix with a 510, twice, Tammy Swingle of 510 and Judy
Shireman of 310 in coffee clutch bowling.
One week number 29 of all star bowling out of the 32 week season, interesting between
the team scores in the series high last night, one point separated them all.
I'm not sure if that's happened for a long time or ever.
Jones Collision Center 28, 68, Julie Karen State Farm 28, 67 and a lot of Springs Camp
Crown 28, 66 team game, Julie Karen State Farm 10, 77, Jones Collision Center 10, 28
and a good enough team, a 10, 14.
Top series, Brian Keister with a 694, Chris Pardune, 664, Jordan Slaney, 650.
It was Brian Kester with a 268 game, Elijah Cannon, 265 and Jordan Slaney, 251.
