The Manawa softball team took the lead in the first inning and never looked back on its way to a 5-3 win over Weyauwega-Fremont on Monday, April 23.
Manawa scored in the first inning when Braun hit a single, stole second, and scored on a single by Block. Ansley Block threw five straight balls to start the game, but settled down to control Wegauwega-Fremont from the mound. She struck out the next three batters.
Neither team was able to get a base runner in the second.
In the top of the third inning, Langman hit a single and stole second. Braun reached on an error that allowed Langman to score. Braun scored on a single by Block. Kons hit a double but was thrown out when she tried to stretch the double into a triple. Both Draeger and Block scored.
W-F’s first batter in the bottom of the third inning reached first base when she was hit by a pitch, however, O’Brien tagged her trying to run to second, and then threw out the batter at first for a double play. The third batter flied out to Langman to end the inning.
In the fourth inning, Manawa again did not have any batters reach base. Wega’s first batter hit a single, and scored on a double. A hit to Draeger at first, a line drive to O’Brien at second, and another strikeout by Block, and the inning was closed with W-F scoring one run.
Manawa’s fifth inning looked promising, as Langman started off the inning reaching first on a bunt, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Braun, and went to third on a fielder’s choice. She was unable to cross home plate.
Wega saw only one batter reach first base on a fielding error in the inning, but O’Brien had two put-outs at second to help close the inning.
Manawa was unable to get a runner on base in the sixth inning, and although W-F’s first batter reached first on a throwing error, pop-ups to O’Brien and Langman and a line drive grab by Block closed them down again.
W-F wasn’t willing to give up easily in the seventh inning. The first batter for Wega walked and eventually scored. The second batter hit a pop-up to Langman, while the third batter hit a single, advanced to second on a double from W-F’s lead-off hitter, and scored on a wild pitch. Block struck out the last batter, giving W-F its first conference loss of the season. The Lady Wolves won by a score of 5-3.
Block gave up four hits, struck out five, and walked two for Manawa.