HART — Hart struggled to get much going against a very good Pine
River squad Friday in a home doubleheader, dropping games 8-2 and 15-2.
The visiting Bucks were district champions a year ago and certainly played at that level Friday, dominating both contests.
Pine
River scored twice in the first inning of game one and led 5-0 before
Hart (6-6) managed to get on the board in the fourth thanks to Leah
Walker's RBI single. Walker also singled in the Pirates' second run of
the game, in the seventh. The Bucks, though, kept the pressure on Hart
with aggressive baserunning and were patient at the plate, drawing 11
walks.
Caydence Bateson scored both Hart's runs in game one.
Reese Smith struck out seven for Hart in the circle, allowing only four
hits and five earned runs.
Hart's softball team breaks up a team huddle during Friday's doubleheader against Pine River. The Pirates lost both games.
Smith laced a RBI triple in the
first inning of game two and scored on Elyssa Tanis' groundout, giving
the Pirates a 2-0 lead. However, Pine River swiftly struck back with two
runs in the bottom half of the first. The Bucks took the lead in the
second inning and poured on 10 runs in the fourth to lock up the win by
mercy rule.
Smith's triple was Hart's only hit of game two,
and the Pirates struggled in the field with six errors. The Bucks again
used patience at the plate to get runners on base and kept the action
going on the basepaths.
