LEON — Humboldt High’s Lady Cub softball team didn’t let the sting of defeat spoil a key early season showdown Monday.
After dropping the first game of the doubleheader to Bluestem — incurring its first loss of the season — Humboldt rebounded and returned the favor in game two, handing the Lions their first loss of 2022, 9-0.
The split puts the Lady Cubs at 3-1 on the year. Bluestem stands at 5-1.
The story of the 9-0 win was the dazzling pitching performance by Humboldt freshman Shelby Shaughnessy, who allowed three hits and struck out eight.
She worked out of a first-and-third situation in the third inning with a strikeout, then retired the next three batters after Bluestem’s Rylee Orpen led off the sixth with a double.
The Lady Cubs had no such trouble getting its offense in gear.
Karley Wools tripled in the first and scored off an error. Brooklyn Ellis followed right behind, scoring on a passed ball to make it 2-0.
Morgan Hunter walked and Cheyenne Wrestler singled, leading to a 3-0 lead when Hunter scored on a fielding error.
Morgan Sterling’s fourth-inning single chased home Carsyn Haviland. Two passed balls and a wild pitch allowed three more Humboldt runs to score for a 7-0 cushion. Wools stole home in the sixth. Ellis scored on an error to cap the scoring.
Wools paced the Humboldt offense with a single and triple. Ellis and Haviland each singled twice. Emily Ross, Wrestler and Sterling all singled. Wools also stole a pair of bases. Ross, Haviland and Ellis each stole a base.
Ellis scored three runs; Wools two.
Bluestem broke open a tight game with two in the third, one more in the fourth and two in the bottom of the sixth.
Ellis was the hard-luck loser, allowing six hits over six innings. She struck out three.
The Lady Cubs put runners on first and second in the top of the second with singles by Ross and Haviland, but Bluestem hurler Delaney Blakesley ended the scoring chance with a pair of strikeouts.
Ross singled to lead off the fourth and Haviland walked with one out. Both runners moved up on a passed ball, but again Blakesley ended the threat with a pair of strikeouts.
