GHV girls go 4-2 for the week

[caption id="attachment_11033" align="alignleft" width="270"] GHV third baseman, Mackenzie Van Gerpen, tries to make a play at home during the Eagle Grove game on Wednesday, June 10. Van Gerpen also recorded two hits for the Cardinals in the 8-7 victory. -Reporter photo by Chris Barragy[/caption]

The Garner-Hayfield/Ventura softball team picked up four wins and dropped two games in action last week, moving their record to 7-7 overall and 5-4 in the North Iowa Conference.

Osage 13, GHV 3

GHV 10, Osage 7

A double header on Monday, June 8, at Osage ended in a draw.

The Cardinals lost the first game, 13-3, but bounced back to hand the Green Devils their first conference loss, 10-7.

“It was great to see the kids be so resilient and gritty in bouncing back and winning against a very solid team,” said Coach Christi Weiser.

Jillian Heitland took the loss in the first game.  She gave up four hits and eight runs and walked two.  Brooklynn Ossman and Bailee Pitzenberger stepped in to add some relief.  Ossman pitched 4.33 innings and gave up nine hits and four runs.  She struck out two.  Pitzenberger struck out one and gave up one run. Ossman recorded the win, pitching all seven innings of the second game.  She allowed six hits, walked two and struck out two.

  Leading hitters included Payton Bamrick, Tiara Van Gerpen, Mallory Van Oort and Ossman with four hits apiece.  Van Oort and Bamrick each smacked doubles.

Van Gerpen, Megan Oetken and Ossman led the team in RBIs with two apiece.  Oetken brought in the two runs with a double.

Tiara Van Gerpen and Jayden Hughes both scored two runs to lead the team.  Van Gerpen also led the team in stolen bases with seven.  Hughes stole four bases.

GHV 8, Eagle Grove 7

The Cardinals held off Eagle Grove on Wednesday, June 10, in a North Iowa Conference showdown.  GHV scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to top the Eagles, 8-7, at home.

Grace Tusha had the hot bat for GHV, smacking two hits, one being a double.  She drove in three runs and plated a run of her own.  Other players recording two hits were Mallory Van Oort, Mackenzie Van Gerpen and Katie Oetken.  Bamrick scored two runs for the Cardinals.

Ossman pitched all seven innings for the Cardinals.  She allowed seven runs and four hits and struck out three.

“The girls are doing a very good job of understanding what it takes to be successful and each day they are working to do those things.  We have been able to get a lot of kids playing time as we work to find the right combination that will make us the most successful team we can be.”

GHV 3, Lake Mills 0

GHV put together all aspects of the game for a shut-out against Lake Mills on Friday, June 12.  The Cardinals topped the Bulldogs, 3-0, in prep softball action.

Leading the Cardinal offense was Mackenzie Van Gerpen, with two hits and she scored one run.  Barrack hit a double and scored one run.  Tusha also had one hit and scored one run.

Recording one RBI apiece was Katie Oetken, Ossman and Heitland.

Jayden Hughes led the team in stolen bases with two and Mackenzie Van Gerpen had one.

Ossman was the winning pitcher.  She pitched the entire seven innings, striking out one and allowing four hits.

GHV 16, MNW 9

Eagle Grove 10, GHV 0

On Saturday, June 13, the team competed in a tournament at Algona.

The Cardinals topped Manson Northwest Webster, 16-9, but Eagle Grove avenged a loss earlier in the week and shut out GHV, 10-0.

GHV collected 17 hits against Manson NW Webster.  Van Gerpen was the offensive leader with three hits, two runs, two stolen bases and one RBI.  One of her hits was a double.  Hughes led the team with three runs.  Pitzenberger led in RBIs, collecting three on two hits.

Ossman pitched all four innings.  She struck out four and gave up eight hits.

Eagle Grove held the Cardinals to just three hits in the 10-0 shut-out.

Pitzenberger took the loss on the mound, giving up 10 hits, 10 runs and one home run.  She walked one and struck out one.

“I am very pleased with the adjustments we are making at the plate,” said Weiser.  The kids are doing a great job of swinging at good pitches and really attacking with their swings.  We have gotten some very solid pitching performances out of our staff and they are working every day to continue to make strides on defense.”