HUMBOLDT — The Lady Cubs finished runner-up at the Lindsey Friederich Softball Tournament after falling in a 1-0 thriller to the Central Heights Vikings.
Senior pitcher Shelby Shaughnessy took the loss despite tallying 10 strikeouts in a complete-game effort while allowing just three hits and three walks, but Humboldt failed to manufacture runs, registering just a pair of hits.
“I thought we battled, we just need to get out on the first pitch a little more and not get behind,” Humboldt coach Brad Piley said. “Central Heights pitcher Cely Crump pitches the ball really well, and when you get behind, she is going to put it where you can’t hit it. We have to be more aggressive on our batting early in the count.”
Although falling in the championship game, Shaughnessy did not let the loss detract from her strong day on the mound, and in the batter’s box after dropping Tri-Valley League rival Neodesha in the opening round of Friday’s tournament 16-0.
“I tried to just relax and have fun,” Shaughnessy said. “I trust my field, and I depend on them, so I wasn’t really worried.”
The Lady Cubs put the Blue Streaks away before the fourth inning in the opener, thanks to a three-RBI effort by sophomore first baseman Kinley Hart. Following a pair of bases-loaded walks, Hart picked up a pair of RBIs in a single swing with a grounder to left field. A two-RBI double by senior second baseman Skylar Hottenstein, an RBI double by senior shortstop Laney Hull and a Shaughnessy RBI triple extended Humboldt’s lead to double digits.
“I just like to put the bat to the ball, just have fun and keep it going,” Hart said.
Hart drove in another run in the second inning on a double, then later scored on a fielding error from a single by freshman outfielder Addisyn Drake. Following another bases-loaded walk, RBIs by Shaughnessy and sophomore pinch-hitter Kamry De La Torre gave Humboldt an insurmountable 16-0 lead before the third inning.
While Hart finished the opener with the team lead in RBIs, Hottenstein and Hull had two each. On the mound, sophomore Jo Ellison had a nearly perfect game over three innings while tallying eight strikeouts and allowing just one hit and no walks.
“We need all of the momentum we can get,” Piley said. “We have a tough regional. We have to be playing well when we get there. Our pitching and everything is coming around, we just have to be more timely with hits. We could have won this one against Central Heights.”
Following Friday’s contests, the Lady Cubs are 12-8 overall. They return to the diamond Tuesday when they host Cherryvale for a doubleheader. First pitches for both games are 4:30 and 6 p.m.
