Softball extends winning streak

Softball co-op makes it three straight wins

The Abbotsford/Colby softball co-op is off to its best start in years. After beginning the season 0-2, the co-op has rattled off three straight wins after dropping Owen-Withee and Spencer last week.

21-13

After getting their first win of the Laura Kneifl era, the Abbotsford/Colby softball team rode that momentum into their Tuesday night home game with Cloverbelt rival Owen-Withee.

The co-op battered the Blackhawks’ pitching and defenses, smothering Owen- Withee with a blistering performance in the batter’s box that led to a season high 21 runs over seven innings.

“This game was a lot of fun,” Kneifl said afterwards when discussing the coop’s best offensive performance of 2021. “We were able to get the bats going and had smart base running.”

Owen-Withee struck first, putting up two runs on Abby/Colby at the top of the first inning, but the co-op quickly erased that deficit in the bottom of the first.

Kya Viegut, Emma Peavey and Kylie Orth all hit singles, and Catie Clement dropped in a triple as the co-op tacked on five runs to go up 5-2. Owen-Withee evened things up with three runs, and then held Abby/Colby scoreless, but in the third inning the co-op broke the game open with an incredible eight run outburst to go up 13-5.

Viegut, Peavey, Brooklyn Filtzkowski, Emma Oelrich and Kylie Smazal all recorded singles. The biggest hitting came from the bats of Josie Higley and Orth. Higley belted a double and Orth blasted a home run. The Blackhawks picked up another run at the top of the fourth, but Peavey’s pitching and the co-op’s defense slammed the door on any other scoring opportunities.

Abby/Colby added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth to go up 17-6. Owen-Withee played better in the fifth, picking up three runs and recorded a double and a single that made it a 17-9 ball game. Abby/Colby tacked on a run in the bottom of the fifth as Kyle Smazal made it to home plate. Oelrich, Orth and Higley all singled.

Owen-Withee pulled to within single digits with some walks and a few deep hits to add six runs to their total and the score was 18-13. Abby/Colby took the runs in stride, took a deep breath, and got back to work in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Viegut, Oelrich, Highley and Orth all struck singles. Oelrich, Higley and Orth also scored three runs to make it 21-13, giving the co-op some breathing room and momentum going into the seventh.

The co-op was rock solid in the last inning, recording three outs on the four batters they faced in the last stanza. Emma Peavey picked up the win on May 4, striking out five batters.

Smazal and Oelrich led the co-op with four runs apiece. Higley had three runs, Viegut, Peavey, Clement and Orth had two runs apiece. Viegut has three singles, Filtzkowski had one single, Peavey had one single and Clement had a triple. Oelrich finished with hits in five consecutive innings to lead the co-op at the batter’s box.

Smazal had a single, and Higley added a double and three singles. Orth had the first home run of the season and two singles. Paige Klement had one single.

Spencer, 15-11

The Abbotsford/Colby co-op took its coaches and fans on a bit of a bumpy ride on Thursday as they traveled to ARC Park to take on the Spencer Rockets. The co-op played some of its best baseball in the first three innings, only to allow the Rockets back into the game before closing the door for good in the seventh.

The co-op carried their big hitting from Owen-Withee into Spencer and ran out to a fast start, taking a 5-1 lead into the third inning off of steals and hits from Kya Viegut, Emma Peavey, Emma Oelrich, Paige Klement and Josie Higley.

The first two innings only served to act as a preview for a sensational third inning. The co-op had its way with the Rocket’s defense in the top of the third, connecting for six hits, including an Oelrich double that led to eight runs.

But just when it appeared as though the co-op would be out of Spencer in three innings, the Rockets mounted a comeback, scoring three runs in the third, two in the fourth and four in the fifth inning.

To make matters worse, the co-op went scoreless in the final four innings as the Rockets pulled to within four runs. But excellent defense from Abby/Colby, along with strong pitching from Peavey, gave the co-op its third straight win and moved them to 3-3 on the year.

Peavey struck out six batters in seven innings and added three singles and a double. Viegut had two singles, Catie Clement had two singles and Emma Oelrich had two singles and a double. Paige Klement led all batters with four hits.

“The girls are improving on their skills and working hard,” Kneifl would later state. “I am very proud of the work they continue to do.”

YOU’RE TOTALLY SAFE- Josie Higley steals a base to beat a throw and tag at third on Thursday as head coach Laura Kneifl applauds Higley’s efforts. In her first year as head coach, Kneifl has the Abbotsford/Colby softball team on a three game winning streak to start 2021.

ALL I DO IS THROW STRIKES -Emma Peavey gets ready to throw another strike. Peavey struck out six Rockets and five Blackhawks.