Griswold softball tournament

Exira-EHK 19, Mt. Ayr 8

Mt. Ayr was on the Road Saturday morning for Giswold’s annual softball tournament.  The Raiderettes first game on the day did not go their way, as Exira-EHK got ahead early and the Raiderettes couldn’t recover in a 19-8 loss to the Spartans.  The Raiderettes  evened things up at two in the bottom of the first inning when Hayden Ruggles singled on a 2-2 count, scoring two runs. The Exira-EHK Spartans  pulled away from the Raiderettes in the second inning where they were able to score four runs.   Mt. Ayr kept pushing forward, as they put up three runs in the seventh inning. Tegan Streit and Aubree Clark were the batters contributing to the big inning where they both drove in runs, but the Spartans scored nine runs in the top of the seventh leading to the final score between the Spartans and the Raiderettes to be 19-8 after seven.

Streit was in the pitcher’s circle for Mt. Ayr for her first time seeing the mound in six years.  The pitcher gave up  six runs on seven hits over one inning.  Taylor Lumbard and Abby Larson entered the game on relief, with Lumbard throwing five innings and  Larson throwing one inning. The Raiderettes had ten hits in the game.  Clark, Lumbard, and Ruggles each had multiple hits for Mt. Ayr.  Ruggles, Lumbard, and Clark each collected two hits to lead the Raiderettes. Mt. Ayr rcorded ten hits and Exira-EHK had 23 in the matchup.

Mt. Ayr 7, Griswold 5

The Raiderettes had two games Saturday with their second one being against the undefeated Griswold Tigers.  Despite allowing three runs in the second inning, the Raiderettes defeated the Tigers with a score of 7-5.   The Raiderettes took the lead early by putting up two runs in the bottom of the first with  the help from a home run by Linsie Barnes, making the final score after the first inning 2-0.

The Griswold Tigers captured the lead in the second inning when Makenna Askeland grounded out, scoring one run. The Raiderettes did not let that stop them as they were able to take the lead for good with five runs in the third inning where Hayden Ruggles singled on a 1-0 count, scoring two runs, Linsie Barnes doubled on a 1-0 count, scoring one run, Zoey Larson lined out, driving in a run, and Taylor Lumbard grounded out, scoring one run.

Zoey Larson got cleared from her shoulder injury earlier in the week where she has been taking things easy trying to make her way back into the game. Saturday afternoon Larson took the mound where  she lasted seven innings, allowing 11 hits and five runs while striking out five. The Raiderettes sent the Tigers home with their first loss on the season, making Griswold’s new season record 18-1.