By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
The Rossville and Hayden softball teams relied on big offensive innings in a doubleheader split at Rossville Thursday.
The Wildcats took their first loss of the season, a 10-4 decision, in the opening game of the twinbill. Rossville jumped on top with four runs in the top of the first inning, then put together a six-run fifth to ward off a Hayden comeback.
Rossville's Falyn Clurman went the distance for the pitching win in the Bulldawgs' 10-4 first-game win over Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Emberly Connell connected for a home run in Thursday's Hayden softball split with Rossville. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Hayden returned the favor in the nightcap, putting up three runs in the second inning and five more in the sixth frame on the way to an 8-2 victory. The Rossville loss was just its second against eight wins on the year.
In the opening game, Rossville pitcher Falyn Clurman worked around a three-run third inning to record the win. The Wildcats’ big blow was a home run by Emberly Connell, but Clurman scattered eight hits in going the distance. She said she was proud of the way her team responded when Hayden rallied in the third.
“We’re learning that mistakes will come,” the sophomore said. “You’ve got to let them go and move on to the next play. Next at bat. Next ball, just move on from mistakes. If we stick with them, that’s when we get down.”
Clurman dueled Class 3A Silver Lake Monday and defeated Class 4A Hayden on Thursday. She said the competition is helping the Bulldawgs grow as a team.
“It builds my confidence to know I can go out there against any team,” Clurman said of competing with bigger schools. “We only lost one player from last year so when we come to practice, we don’t have to go over fundamentals. We can go straight into our plays and everything. I feel good about this team and think we can go far.”
Maura Valdivia picked up the pitching win and had a double in Hayden's 8-2 Game 2 softball win over Rossville. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Rossville's Kenna Perine had a triple and a double in Rossville's doubleheader softball split with Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
In the second game, Hayden was protecting a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth inning when the Wildcat bats took over. Five runs gave Hayden an 8-2 cushion that pitcher Maura Valdivia didn’t relinquish. The junior allowed just six hits and one earned run.
“The best thing she does is she just gets ahead while missing the meat of the plate,” Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said of Valdivia. “She’s living on the corners but she’s still throwing strikes. I thought our defense in the second game was much better.
“(Rossville has) got some really good hitters, especially at the top of the order. In the first game, we had a lot of ‘tweener’ plays that we could have made and didn’t, and that led to big innings. Blakely (Walter, Hayden’s starting pitcher in the first game) threw better than what she got.”
Reynoldson returned to the head coaching position this spring after several years’ absence. Fresh off a state basketball championship, he is becoming familiar with his new team. Despite suffering their first loss of the season, Reynoldson said he likes what he sees from the 7-1 Wildcats.
“I’m still kind of learning the team, the strengths and weaknesses of everybody,” Reynoldson said. “But I love their work ethic and their attitude. We’ve got really great players when it comes to that.”
GAME ONE
ROSSVILLE 10, HAYDEN 4
Hayden 003 001 0 -- 4 8 3
Rossville 400 060 x -- 10 10 1
Walter and Connell. Clurman and Mitchell. W -- Clurman. L -- Walter. 2B -- Hayden: Peterson, McAlister. Rossville: Clurman, Perine, Henry, Whitmore, Burdiek. 3B --Rossville: Perine. HR -- Hayden: Connell.
GAME TWO
HAYDEN 8, ROSSVILLE 2
Hayden (7-1) 030 005 0 -- 8 8 2
Rossville (8-2) 100 010 0 -- 2 6 2
Valdivia and Matthews. Henry, Hubbell (6) and Mitchell. W -- Valdivia. L -- Mitchell. 2B -- Hayden: Peterson 2, Valdivia. Rossville: Perine, Mitchell. 3B -- Hayden: McAlister.
