Lady Wolverines end regular season seeded second

Wrapping up regular season play in a three game week, Weiser’s Lady Wolverines took a surprising 11-6 conference loss to the Payette Lady Pirates on Monday, April 28. The next day, Weiser met Nampa Christian for the second time this season in a non-conference matchup on their home field, looking for some retribution after losing to the Trojans 10-7 in mid-March.

 This one proved to be a defensive duel, both teams recorded only three hits apiece throughout the entire seven innings.

 The Trojans scored two runs in the top of the first inning, with a couple of Weiser fielding errors allowing the go-ahead. Weiser’s Ellie Shirts (1) got on first on a walk in the bottom half, but two strikeouts and a ground out ended the half.

 Three-up, three down was the theme both ways over the next two innings. In the top of the fourth, the Trojans got two on base before Weiser pitcher Madi Janicek delivered a pair of strikeouts, and a ground out ended the rally. 

 In the bottom of the sixth, Sophie Shirts (9) and Ellie Shirts each got on base with singles. S. Shirts stole her way to third, and then scored on a steal of home, narrowing the score to 2-1. Bunting into a fielder’s choice to third base, Stromberg got on first. Zero outs in the half quickly changed direction with a strikeout, pop-out and ground-out.

 The seventh inning went three up, three down both ways again, ending with Nampa Christian taking the tight 2-1 win.

 Out-hitting Payette’s Lady Pirates 15 to 11 on Monday, but ending up on the losing end, Weiser’s Lady Wolverines were ready to prove the loss was a fluke. In a rematch with Payette in Weiser on Wednesday, April 30, the Wolverine hits kept coming, ending the game after four and a-half innings in a 17-1 win.

 Prior to the final regular season game’s start, Weiser’s five seniors, Jordan Stromberg, Jossy Jaeger, Bennett Torres, Taylor Mordhorst, and team manager, Tatem Clary, were treated to a celebration, turning from there to acknowledge Payette’s senior players.

 The Pirates got one run on one hit in the first inning after their first batter, L. Walker walked, the second batter struck out, and H. Collingwood hit a double to left field. Walker stole home for the score before Janicek threw a second strikeout and the top half ended with a ground out to Stromberg at second.

 Weiser added hits and runs in all four innings. 3, 3, 5, and 6, while Payette went three up, three down in the top halves of the second, third, and fourth innings.

 Down 17-1 in the top of the fifth, Payette loaded the bases on two walks and a hit-by-pitch. With one out, Payette’s L. Walker was at bat when Torres threw the ball to Shirts in a pick-off attempt. In the action, Payette’s lead runner was sent home, but Shirts got the ball back to Torres for the tag out. On the next pitch, Walker popped the ball nearly straight up with it coming to rest in Janicek’s glove to end the game.

 Janicek recorded seven strikeouts, and allowed one run on one hit. 

 The Wolverines earned 17 runs on 16 hits, and zero errors. E. Shirts led Weiser with four hits in four at-bats, four runs, and four stolen bases. Navarrete homered in the bottom of the first for two runs. Stromberg and Mordhorst each recorded multiple hits. Left field Jessica Waite (4) led with three RBIs, and E. Shirts, Stromberg, Navarrete, and S. Shirts recorded two each.