HUMBOLDT — The Humboldt High softball team experienced early pitching struggles and then dominant offense to take an even split against Bluestem at home Monday.
The Lady Cubs (5-1) won a thrilling extra inning 8-7 game in the opener when Karley Wools stole home on a passed ball in the ninth. Humboldt then couldn’t overcome a first inning five-run deficit and dropped the second game, 15-10.
Game one
Bluestem jumped out to an early lead with a 5-0 advantage in the bottom of the first. Shelby Shaughnessy started in the pitcher’s circle for Humboldt and surrendered five runs on four walks and four hits.
“We’ve just got to get Shelby (Shaughnessy) to where she is ready to go in the first inning,” Humboldt head coach Brad Piley said. “Once she got through that she didn’t let them score any more runs. She throws it hard enough where they weren’t touching her later on.”
The Lady Cubs didn’t have an answer until the bottom of the second when Emily Ross reached first base on an error and then scored on a Tayven Baylor RBI double to left.
Humboldt added another run in the third inning when Shaughnessy smacked an RBI double to left to bring home Carsyn Haviland for the 5-2 deficit. Ross then singled to center to plate Shaughnessy and bring the Lady Cubs within two runs, 5-3.
Wools tripled down the left field line and scored on a wild pitch to bring the margin within one run in the bottom of the fifth, 5-4.
Ryland Covey tied the game up for Humboldt in the bottom of the seventh when she tripled down the right field line and made it a 5-5 game on a Wools ground ball to shortstop which was mishandled by Bluestem.
“We’ve been pretty patient about swinging at good pitches, which is a lot of it,” said Piley. “Eventually they’re going to throw one down the middle so we’ve just got to wait for that pitch and take advantage of it.”
Bluestem went back ahead in the top of the ninth, 7-5, when Bridget Mohr and Emily Neal came around to score on errors and singles.
Humboldt’s Chloe Daniels and Wrestler got on base before Wools also singled and all three scored after a Haviland double cleared the bases and marked the 8-7 walk off winner.
Game two
The Bluestem Lions got their bats heated up again in the first inning but this time held Humboldt from cutting into their lead as much in a 15-10 loss for the Lady Cubs.
The first five Bluestem batters of the game all reached base and scored for an early 5-0 hole.
