Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com
Published - Thursday, May 15, 2008
Winhawks’ bats silent in sweep by Owatonna
 Winona Senior High shortstop Hannah Norman fields a ground ball during the Winhawks' first game of a Big Nine Conference doubleheader against Owatonna Wednesday in Winona. (Photo by Andrew Link/Winona Daily News) |
It wasn’t exactly the greatest way to end a regular season.
After a five-game winning streak, the Winona Senior High School softball team dropped its last three games of the regular season.
Wednesday, it lost to Owatonna 5-2 and 4-1 in what could be its last home games of the season.
And, to top it all off, the bats have suddenly gone silent with the playoffs looming on Tuesday.
“It’s not a good way to head into the playoffs,” admitted senior Krissa Foegen, who took the Game 1 loss, striking out six and walking one, “but if we can just put these games behind us, we’ll do much better in the playoffs.”
Before the Winhawks’ final three losses, where they totalled just three runs, they had been on fire offensively, scoring 41 runs during that five-game win streak.
“It’s like coach said, we just have to be more consistent with the bats,” said senior Jessica Fratzke, who came into Wednesday’s doubleheader batting .443.
In the two losses to Owatonna (7-12, 6-10), Winona’s top four in the batting order went a combined 0-for-25.
In their defense, not many Winhawks were hitting. Winona (9-11, 7-10) got just five hits in the opening loss and then was held to one hit by Owatonna’s Juli Smith in the second game.
“This was probably her best game ever tonight,” Owatonna coach Kristi Hiatt said of Smith, who struck out nine and walked two in the Game 2 win.
Smith also won the opener, relieving starter Ashley Grubish in a 2-2 game in the fifth inning.
Smith struck out two, walked none and gave up just one hit in the final three innings of the opener.
In the second game, Owatonna got up 3-0 on WSHS in the fourth inning with three very peculiar hits.
Chantel Skala, who almost exclusively bunts, blooped one just to the grass behind third base for a leadoff single. Breezy Pitan, who also bunts, followed with a similar hit, only it went to the first-base side.
After a passed ball moved the runners to second and third, Rachel Olson hit a blooper very similar to Pitan’s for a single.
Foegen, in right field, bobbled it, allowing Skala to score. Courtney Pederson came up a batter later and got an RBI groundout to Erin Buswell, who was pitching.
Buswell looked at Olson on third base, trying to hold her there, but when she turned to throw to first, Olson took off for home and scored.
Winona got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Megan Flanigan — the only hit for WSHS — and it had its chances in the fifth to tie it.
Buswell, who got down 0-2 in the count, drew a one-out walk. Ciara Morcomb followed with a walk.
Hard-hitting Hannah Norman came up next and laced one high to third, but Pitan reached up and managed to hold on for the out.
Buswell and Morcomb succeeded in a double steal after Norman’s liner, but Fratzke left them stranded with a well-hit ball caught in center field.
The Winhawks went in order after that.
“This was an extension of yesterday,” WSHS coach Dave Heise said of Tuesday’s 5-1 loss to Rochester Mayo. “It’s been the hitting.
“Their pitcher pitched a good game, but our hitters have to be more focused.”
Heise, however, isn’t worried about the quiet bats. There is plenty of time between now and the playoffs.
“We’ve got some time to practice,” he said. “We can get ready.”
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